by Rachel Ogbu
Aregbesola (Photo: Punch)
The Peoples Democratic Party has said it is wrong of the Osun state government to name a Federal Government airport after MKO Abiola calling on Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola to abort the plan.
On Tuesday, the Chairman, Osun PDP, Gani Olaoluwa said in a statement that it was off beam to name the Ido-Osun Airport after the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, adding that the airport had not even been completed.
“No state government can name any edifice or project belonging to the Federal Government. When President Goodluck Jonathan named University of Lagos after MKO it was the Action Congress of Nigeria that were criticising the action or have they forgotten so soon?” he said.
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In reaction, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Sunday Akere, dismissed the claims by the opposition party.
“The MKO Abiola Airport is solely financed by Osun State government. The Osun PDP is an unfocused and rudderless party without compunction and integrity. The PDP is intimidated by the enormity of projects being executed by the Rauf Aregbesola administration,” Akere said.
According to reports, the State Commissioner for Special Duties and Regional Integration, Basiru Ajibola also said, “The claim is the height of hallucination”.
“Let the PDP show Federal Government’s letter of award for the contract. Aeronautic Engineering and Technical Service, which is an arm of the Nigerian Air Force, is involved in the project being handled solely by Osun State.”
“Governance is not about jesting, selfishness and corruption. The PDP is a party of jesters. These are people who sleep and wake up every day from the wrong side of the bed. Otherwise, how can the party wake up and lay claim to a project being financed 100 per cent by the state government?”
Why is it to be in osun state? After all the man mko is not from the state. What will the party ACN say if the port is built by PDP and named after S M Afolabi who was among the founders of osun state?