FG Didn’t Give Oyo ₦50bn For Ibadan Airport Project — Makinde Govt. Replies Wike

The Oyo State Government has denied receiving ₦50 billion from the Federal Government for the reconstruction and upgrade of the Ibadan Airport, describing the claim by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike as false and misleading.

The government said President Bola Tinubu had approved Governor Seyi Makinde’s proposal for the airport upgrade on the condition that it would be undertaken “at no cost to the Federal Government.”

This was contained in a statement by Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, on Tuesday, in response to Wike’s statement on a television programme on Monday that Tinubu had “settled” Oyo State with ₦50 billion for the airport project.

According to the statement, the records of the presidential approval are with both the Presidency and the Oyo State Government, adding that the state had fully financed the transformation of the airport in line with the approval.

The government listed the expansion and strengthening of the runway, upgrade of airfield lighting and navigational systems, apron improvements, dualisation of the Airport Road, enhanced aviation safety installations and ongoing construction of a modern international terminal among the components of the project.

“Every component of the upgrade has been executed and funded solely by Oyo State,” the statement said.

The state government described Wike’s claim as “untrue and unfortunate,” saying it did not originate from any Federal Executive Council decision, presidential approval or statutory aviation infrastructure process.

It further said aviation infrastructure funding followed due-process channels involving the Federal Ministry of Aviation and other regulatory bodies, adding that none of those channels reflected the ₦50 billion figure mentioned by Wike.

The government said it would not allow what it described as misinformation to be used for political point-scoring or to distort public understanding of the state’s finances.

“Let it be stated unambiguously: The Federal Government did not give Oyo State ₦50 billion for the Ibadan Airport upgrade,” the statement said.

The government urged public officials to exercise restraint and responsibility, warning against making what it described as unfounded statements capable of misleading citizens and politicising development efforts.