Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, has narrated how he firmly confronted the Federal Government over what he described as the unfair and selective use of a state-owned airport, insisting that public infrastructure must first and foremost serve the people. Nigerian Tribune reports.
The governor explained that the Ibadan Airport was being operated under restrictive conditions through the issuance of NOTAMs (Notifications to Airmen), which permitted only selected aircraft to land and take off, effectively denying the general public access to a facility built with state funds.
Disturbed by the development, Makinde said he closely monitored activities at the airport, documenting his observations through videos and photographs, as he considered the situation unjust to the people of Oyo State.
He said he subsequently raised the matter with the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, expressing his displeasure and stressing that it was unacceptable for ordinary citizens to be excluded from using a public facility.
According to Makinde, the minister informed him that he could personally land at the airport if he wished, noting that a special NOTAM could be issued for his aircraft. The governor, however, rejected the offer, insisting that the issue was not about personal privilege but about fairness and principle.
Makinde disclosed that despite the airport not being officially open to the public, it was used to receive several high-profile visitors.
He cited an occasion when the First Lady traveled to Ile-Ife for a chieftaincy title, during which about 15 or 16 aircraft reportedly landed at the airport.
He added that the President of Ghana was also scheduled to land at the facility en route to Ile-Ife.
At that point, the governor said he issued a strong warning to the Minister of Aviation, threatening to block the access road leading to the airport if the selective usage continued.
His stance, he emphasized, was clear and uncompromising: if the airport was not open to the general public, then no individual—regardless of status—would be allowed to use it.
“This is state money,” Makinde stressed, noting that the airport was funded with public resources and must therefore be accessible to the people.
He revealed that the impasse was eventually resolved, leading to the official opening of the airport for public use. Only then, the governor said, did he land at the facility himself, satisfied that it was finally fulfilling its intended purpose.
The episode, Makinde noted, underscored his administration’s commitment to equity, accountability, and the responsible use of public infrastructure.
