The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has described the planned airport project by Governor Ayodele Fayose as a drain pipe to siphon money from Ekiti State treasury.
It said the promotion of elite project, while neglecting initiatives for the growth of local economy for the masses of the agrarian state, was “insensitive, wicked and selfish.”
The party noted that the promoter of the project had no motive other than the “characteristic flight of the state funds” in such capital projects that had little or no hope for the local economy.
The Publicity Secretary of the APC, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, alleged that the governor had, in a desperate move, embarked on begging and cajoling some first class traditional rulers with mouth-watering offers to support “this wasteful venture.
“Of what economic sense and use is an airport to the economy of Ekiti when the Akure Airport is less than one hour drive to Ado Ekiti? What has been the positive economic impact of the Akure airport on the economy of Ondo State, which has hundreds of big industries compared to Ekiti with none?”
Olatunbosun wondered why the governor could not learn anything on the poor state of Ibadan Airport in that highly industrialised city.
“The Ekiti airport project estimated to cost a whopping N17 billion is the most economically unviable project at this period considering how Fayose daily laments that the state has no money.
“To even think about such a needless and wasteful project has shown Fayose as very insensitive to the plight of the common man in Ekiti.
“A governor that prefers an airport that risks lack of patronage to infrastructure development that will be beneficial to the people is a governor that doesn’t care about the welfare of his people.
“It shows that Fayose can never change his profligate tendencies because this is the same way he embarked on the needless poultry project that gulped N1.3 billion over which he is still standing trial in court,” he said.
The APC spokesman also criticised the tax regime and cancellation of empowerment schemes by the governor, saying they were contrary to the promise he made during electioneering campaigns.
He added that with the state’s lean purse, the airport project would foreclose any hope for infrastructure development.
Only a few days ago, the governor held a meeting with stakeholders involved in the project and those present, including a renowned lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), and a former Aviation Minister, Mr. Tunde Omotoba, urged him to go on with the project.
They opined that at least a standard airstrip should be built in the state to open it up for further economic activities.
Fayose, at different fora, had said his government was committed to the project, promising that the project would be completed before the end of next year.
He said a fund raiser would be held in Lagos, where corporate bodies and individuals would be able to contribute to the project. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com