The Special Assistant to Honourable Bamidele Salam, a federal Lawmaker Representating Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Oladele Olabamiji has reacted to the response of the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Mr Ismail Omipidan on the issue of MKO Agboola Airport, Ido Osun.
Lawmaker’s Aide in a statement signed and made available to this medium in Osogbo, on Sunday said Mr Omipidan’s responses on the matter so far indicated that he does not understand the basics of the issues in the lawmakers legislative intervention.
Full statement:
“Our attention has again been drawn to the latest responses of Ismaila Omipidan, Governor Oyetolas Chief Press Secretary on the issue of the efforts being made by the Representative of Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo federal constituency in the National Assembly, Bamidele Salam to get Federal support for the completion of the MKO Abiola Airport in Iddo Osun.
“It will be recalled that the House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a resolution to call on the Federal Government to complete the airport which had gulped several billion of Naira in the last few years but has turned to a massive forest of abandonment.
“That resolution was passed based on a motion moved by the Hon. member in Plenary.
“Since Mr. Omipidan does not understand the basics of the issues in the lawmakers legislative intervention, we deem it necessary to again educate him on why he needs to outgrow his penchant for kindergarten combat tactics in trying to project his principal and denigrating whoever appears to him as having a contrary opinion in the opposition and even within his own party.
“The fact of the matter is that sometime around August last year, Representative Salam met with his colleagues Chairmen of the Aviation Committees in the Senate and House of Representatives to seek for the inclusion of the Osun Airport in the 2021 federal budget which was then in preparation.
“The Committee Chairmen advised on necessary steps that needed to be taken by the State Governor to facilitate this in view of the fact that the state government had taken over the project since the time of the Oyinlola administration.
“Rep. Salam subsequently made several fruitless efforts to meet with the Governor and get him properly briefed on the subject matter. These attempts were made through top members of the administration and through text messages to the Governors private lines.
“Representative Salam discussed this same matter with two Senators from Osun who were also very keen on the Airport project but could not get the Governor to act on time.
“That opportunity was lost with the passage of the 2021 budget in December of 2020.
“A similar case played out on the issue of getting a massive Federal intervention on the Cocoa Processing Industry, Ede which Representative Salam discussed in a meeting with His Excellency Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and needed to brief the Governor on what needed be done to access this intervention.
“The latest move of the Hon. member is a continuation of those initiative to get Federal intervention for the projects in his constituency, one of which is the Airport; especially now that the 2022 budget is being prepared for presentation to the National Assembly.
” If the Governor had indeed hearken to our voice and taken a step on the matter in June of this year as Omipidan would want us to think, does the CPS not understand that it is only the National Assembly that appropriates funds for the actualisation of such projects? Will it be out of place therefore for a person elected to represent that constituency in the National Assembly to bring motions and lobby his colleagues to actialise the vision?
“Mr. Omipidan needs to be reminded that the burden of governance weighs more heavily on all elected persons and no amount of insults or blackmail will deter our principal from discharging that burden as he covenanted with the electorate.
“Meanwhile, since it appears the only channel through which Mr. Governor hears other stakeholders in the State is through his CPS, we wish to advise that he should remind him about the pending matter of the Cocoa Processing Industry, Ede which has a potential of attracting quick federal intervention if only the state government will be interested in taking the cue from what other Governors have been able to achieve by collaborative efforts of all and sundry.
Oladele Olabamiji
Special Assistant To Rep Bamidele Salam On Strategic Communication
19th September, 2021.
