Osun M.K.O Abiola Airport To Begin Operation In 8 Months- Contractor
There are indications that the Osun state owned M.K.O International Airport, Ido-Osun area of the state, would commence operations in the next eight months.
It was learnt that an international company, the All Works of Life (AWOL) International Limited, has taken over the construction of the airport.
Commenting on the development, AWOL Chief Executive Officer, Ambassador Nurudeen Ogunlade, said that five aircrafts, three passenger helicopters and one cargo by AWOL International Company would take off at the completion of the first phase of the airport in eight months’ time.
Ogunlade stated this at the signing of the Concession Agreement between the state government and AWOL at the governor’s office, Abere, on Thursday.
According to Ogunlade, AWOL was in partnership with a Turkish company, Biray Group, for the construction of the airport, disclosing that work would start at the airport on November 9 this year.
He maintained that the funding of the project was 100 per cent the responsibility of his company, stating that the AWOL has negotiated and finalized agreement with the former contractors handling the project.
Listing the benefits that the airport will bring to the country, Ogunlade said that the airport is designed to facilitate smooth movement of the people and goods from one point to other and serve as a channel way for tourism, hanger and cargo.
He said that the airport would be completed with the establishment of five Star Hotels, Cultural center, Water Park, Recreation Center and Garden, Butterfly Museum and Casinos within the period of two years.
In his address, Governor Rauf Aregbesola noted that the taking over of the airport construction by AWOL was a divine intervention for the fulfillment of his administration’s dream to make Osun economic viable and self sufficient.
Aregbesola said that government had expended a sum of N2.9billion on the airport, explaining that the contractor handling the project had done certified work amounting to N3.6 billion.
He said that the state government has an outstanding of N6.4 million which included retention fee to balance the contractor.
Aregbesola stated that in the next two years, flights would take off from the airport to all parts of Africa.
Explaining the terms of the concession agreement, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Dr Basiru Ajibola said that the state government has given exclusive right to AWOL company for the construction, commissioning and maintenance of the airport.
Ajibola explained further that the government did not terminate the contractual agreement he made with the contractors handling the airport, adding that AWOL has taken over the airport construction with negotiation and agreement with the contractor.