Speaking at a development partners’ meeting in Abuja, the governor expressed optimism that the airport would become operational soon, following a final inspection visit by relevant agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has announced that significant progress has been made towards commencing commercial flights at the state airport before the end of 2024.
Speaking at a development partners’ meeting in Abuja, the governor expressed optimism that the airport would become operational soon, following a final inspection visit by relevant agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Furthermore, Governor Oyebanji expressed his administration’s willingness to partner and engage in initiatives that attract investment and unlock the potential of the state’s solid mineral processing industry, fostering local growth and development.
He also emphasized his government’s commitment to enhancing the ease of doing business in Ekiti State, positioning it as a prime destination for investment and economic activity among Nigeria’s states.
This again brings to light how former Ekiti State Governor, Olukayode Fayemi, in 2022 inaugurated an uncompleted Ekiti Cargo Airport along Ado-Ijan Road, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital amid fanfare.
Fayemi described the airport as a dream come true for Ekiti people, saying the facility would boost the socio-economic growth and development of the state.
However, it was reported that several projects had not been completed at the airport during the inauguration.
The Air Traffic Control (ATC), which is one of the most important facilities in an airport, had also yet to be completed. Two years after the inauguration, SaharaReporters reported that the airport had yet to be in operation.
Fayemi has also initiated a lawsuit against Omoyele Sowore for reporting the shoddy job done by his government at the airport.
Omoyele Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow, however, filed a defence statement in response to a libel suit brought by Fayemi against him.
The defence statement was filed at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
In a 47-paragraph defendants’ joint statement of defence in suit No: FCT/HC/CV 2062/2021 between Fayemi as Claimant and Mr. Omoyele Sowore (founder Chairman & Director Sahara Reporters Limited, Publishers of Sahara Reporters) and Sahara Reporters Limited as 1st and 2nd Defendants, Sowore tells the court that the Claimant is a thief who has no reputation.
In the statement of defence, Sowore asks the court to dismiss the suit with substantial costs, arguing that Fayemi has no reputation to protect. Sowore’s counsel, Tope Temokun Esq., submitted the statement on June 10, 2024, asserting that contrary to Fayemi’s claims of piety and incorruptibility, the people of Ekiti State and Nigeria have a different perception of him.
The defendants argue that Fayemi’s reputation is tarnished, and he has no grounds to claim libel.
The defendants point out that the claimant, John Olukayode Fayemi, was charged in January 2018 with financial impropriety offenses in the High Court of Ekiti State (Charge No: HAD/5c/2018 – The State Vs. Dr. John Kayode Fayemi and Mr. Vincent Dapo Kolawole).
The charges include refusing to obey a witness summons, attempting to prevent or defeat the course of justice, criminal contempt, and abuse of office.
Additionally, the defendants allege that Fayemi secured a N20 billion loan from a bank to build an international cargo airport in Ado Ekiti, despite rejecting an offer from Aare Afe Babalola to contribute to the project, claiming that the state had sufficient funds to complete the airport. This contradicts Fayemi’s claims of uprightness and incorruptibility.
The defendants note that the cargo airport in Ado-Ekiti, inaugurated on October 15, 2022, was not fully completed, despite claims by the claimant, John Olukayode Fayemi, that it was a world-class facility. Fayemi had tweeted that the airport could accommodate large aircraft and had a terminal building capable of handling both local and international travelers.
However, the defendants argue that the airport remains unfinished, with no other aircraft landing there since its inauguration.
They also note that the Ekiti State Government disclosed in its 2023 budget presentation that over N16.5 billion had been spent on the airport’s construction, but the control tower, passenger terminal, and runway remain incomplete. The defendants question the claimant’s assertions about the airport’s capabilities and suggest that the inauguration was misleading.
The defendants refer to a statement made by the Special Adviser to Governor Biodun Oyebanji on Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, regarding the cargo airport in Ado-Ekiti.
Adebayo said that while military aircraft can land without navigational aids, commercial planes require a functional control tower, a new terminal, and adequate lighting infrastructure to ensure safe landings. The defendants intend to rely on a report published by Leadership Newspaper on the cargo airport and allege that when the banks funding the project refused additional loans, the Ekiti State Government sought financial assistance from Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) to complete the project.
They note that Babalola pledged N4 billion, with N2 billion already disbursed, but instead of appreciation, the claimant, Fayemi, has subjected Babalola to unjustified attacks in the media.
The defendants also mention a petition by concerned Ekiti citizens to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate alleged treasury looting by Fayemi, which they intend to rely on in the trial.
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