By Augustine Aminu
Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the upgrading of the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport, Alakia, Ibadan to international standard, noting that the project, when completed, will connect the state to the global market.
The governor maintained that the upgraded airport would also improve the ease of doing business, bring in investments in agribusiness, manufacturing and technology sectors and position Ibadan as a true regional business hub.
Governor Makinde stated this at the airport in Alakia, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of the facility to an international airport, noting the project had been awarded to Messrs Craneburg at the cost of N41 billion.
He promised to do everything possible to ensure that the project is delivered in the next 12 months.
This was as the governor assured residents of the state that the
Presumptive Tax Law recently passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly will not be implemented at this time due to the general hardship facing the people, stating that his government will only fight poverty and not poor people.
He said: “We took an important decision yesterday at the Executive Council Meeting. We know times are hard and Nigerians are hungry and angry. But I hope this will not boil over. But in Oyo State, we have control over what we can do here. I can see that the House has passed the Presumptive Tax Bill. Yes, it came from us because if we need to expand economy, we need to generate money. I will sign it into law but we will not implement it for now.”
