Oyo state governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde says he was already in talks with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, for an upgrade of Ibadan Airport to facilitate Cargo operations and international flights.
Engr. Makinde stated this over the weekend while addressing a mammoth crowd that gathered for a civic reception in his honour at his ancestral village, Ajia, in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state.
The governor assured the people that the main goal of his administration was to record unprecedented development that will benefit all residents of the state.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Taiwo Adisa, quoted the Governor as saying that agro-allied services would benefit heavily from the impending upgrade of the Airport.
The statement also indicated that the governor restated his commitment towards fulfilling all his campaign promises to the people, noting that his government has begun efforts to see to the development of infrastructure, education, agriculture and health sectors.
Engr. Makinde, at the event organised by the Ajia and its Environs Descendant Union, promised not to disappoint the people of the state or break the trust that they reposed in him by ensuring that dividends of good governance cut across the nooks and crannies of the state.
The governor further said: “It has been said that a prophet is without honour in his own town. But today, the people of Ajia, my kinsmen, have honoured me and you have not made selfish demands from us, you have asked us to govern with integrity and the fear of God; you have warned us to be wary of sycophants and to continue to pay attention to the welfare of the people as we have been doing.
I assure you that we will do all these and many more in fulfillment of our promises,” the Governor said.
He further said: “I have begun discussion with the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria and they have given us certain conditions on the upgrade of our airport so that it can accommodate bigger aircrafts. When that is done, those travelling from Osun, Ekiti and Ondo will not need to get to Lagos before boarding flights and what that tells you is that Ajia and other rural communities around the airport as well as the economy of Oyo State, will soon witness a new dawn.”
Governor Makinde told a jubilant crowd of Ajia residents that he would soon begin the reconstruction of the Ajia Road.
He explained that he had as a private citizen, offered to construct the Road, but the previous administration in the state turned down the offer.
Makinde also stated that he had equally faced similar hostility from the previous administration in the state whose agents destroyed the borehole and the equipment deployed by his contractor when he was trying to build a borehole for Alesinloye Market.
He declared that in a matter of weeks the State Government would review the Iyana-Agbala Road Project and make it a priority, noting that his administration would pay full attention to the development of rural settlements across the state.
Earlier, a former Head of Service in the State, Pa. Theophilus Akinyele, expressed joy that Ajia Village could produce the governor of Oyo State after producing about three Heads of Service.
Pa Akinyele, who urged the governor Makinde to continue to place premium on the welfare of people as he had been doing as a private citizen, appealed to him to make Ajia a model village as it obtains in South Africa and some other places.
Earlier in his address, chairman of the union, Engr. Amos Fakayode, commended Makinde for making Ajia and Oyo State proud through his achievements within the first 100 days in the office.
Engr. Fakayode noted that the community was neither disappointed nor surprised at the giant strides of Governor Makinde, adding that as a private citizen, the governor had singlehandedly provided electricity to the community.
The reception was well attended by top government officials.
