PDP chieftain hails Abiodun over Ogun airport project

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State and Convener of The Alternative Movement, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has lauded Gov Dapo Abiodun for prioritising progress and necessary infrastructure, such as the Gateway International Airport, to strengthen the economic prosperity of the state.

Showunmi, according to a statement on Friday, explained that the recent commencement of commercial flight operations at the newly constructed international airport along Ilisan-Iperu Remo road no doubt marked the beginning of greater economic prosperity for the residents of the state.

The PDP chieftain reportedly stated this while speaking on his first flight experience from Abuja on Thursday to the state-owned airport.

He attributed the achievements of the airport to the commitment of Abiodun’s vision towards the development, while also commending the former governor of the state and Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, under whose conceived the project was conceived in 2005.

Showunmi pointed out that the Airport had made Ogun become a truly hub of economic prosperity, insisting that anyone who refused to invest in Ogun is losing out.

He disclosed that he had the privilege of knowing when the idea of the Airport was conceived during the administration of Daniel, but it didn’t come to reality until now.

Showunmi posited that sometimes when an opportunity is missed, it shouldn’t be regarded as lost, believing that whatever is coming is better. “Gateway International Airport, the best is yet to come”, he said.

He cheerfully commended the governor for putting up infrastructure in the airport, saying that for any development to occur, there must be infrastructure.

He said, “I had the privilege of knowing when this idea was conceived, during the reign and the government of Otunba Gbenga Daniel.

“I happened to work in the government, in the same office as the Economic Adviser at that time. So I have an idea of how we got all this started, and when you think about the number of years it has taken us before we can get the project done, then we have to thank God.

“Many people, organisations and business owners wanted the airport built, knowing that if we build it, investors will come. Anyone who wants to transform any environment, first of all, make sure they put infrastructure for multimodal transportation in place, like Abiodun has done.”

The PDP chieftain added, “On behalf of all good citizens of Ogun State at home and in diaspora, I want to say huge congratulations to His Excellency, Omoba Dapo Abiodun, the man who ensured that, in our lifetime, a commercial flight landed in Iperu, Ilishan, Ogun State.

“Over time, people are going to learn that this infrastructure will generate more income than all of the medley of misdirected activities they prioritise instead of facing the things that are important”

Abiodun had earlier inaugurated the first commercial flight of the state-owned airport

The aircraft owned by Valuejet, with registration number 5N-BXS and 90 passengers on board, departed the airport at 10:10 a.m. for Abuja.

Speaking at the airport located along the Iperu-Ilisan road in the Ikenne Local Government Area of the State, the governor said the journey to actualise the airport started in 2021 and was part of the vision to provide a well-modelled transport system for the State.

He said, “I am glad to be here today to actually witness the inaugural flight of a commercial aircraft taking off from Ogun State; this is not like AI, this is real. Commercial operations are starting in Ogun State during the lifetime of an administration.

“We came here in 2021; some people said it was just a photo op, they said it was just politics, they mocked us, and they said this place is nothing but a dump site. Some even said that we were going to use this place as a cattle ranch.

“Some others had this airport built on a PowerPoint, but again, we are here today, and we have seen what can be achieved when there is vision, when there is collective vision, inclusive vision, inclusive participation, and when there is passion and diligence.

“We began to construct in late 2021; in February 2023, this same Valuejet was the first plane to land on this runway; it was a test flight of our runway. Building an airport is one thing; having an airport become operational is a totally different thing because it is a very highly regulated industry.”

He emphasised that his administration was determined to have the best-constructed, equipped, and befitting airport for the state, noting that apart from being the industrial capital of the nation, the State is blessed with a population, making it the fastest-growing economy in Nigeria today.

The administration’s vision, Abiodun maintained, is supported by several business cases, adding that the airport is situated in an Aerotropolis, with many companies springing up, just as the biggest textile plant in the world and the Nigeria Customs Village are situated around the airport.

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