The Federal Government yesterday officially resumed Oyo-Ogbomoso road project, which is the section II of the Ibadan-Ilorin expressway.
The resumption ceremony of the 52-kilometre road, which was facilitated by the Senator representing Oyo Central, Monsurat Sunmonu, took place at the boundary of the Oyo-Ogbomoso road.
It was learnt that President Muhammadu Buhari approved N6 billion for the project, which was awarded to Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), to resume after much pressure from the federal lawmakers in the constituency area.
Flagging off the construction of the road, Minister of Works, Power and Housing Babatunde Fashola express the commitment of the Buhari administration to ensure the speedy completion of the road.
Fashola, who was represented by the Controller of Works, Federal Ministry of Works in Oyo State, Mr. Anya Omorekpe, said the Federal Government would force the contractors handling the project to do quality job.
“The concentration of heavy trucks on this road is about 80 per cent and that is why shall separate it into two lanes. The work will be constructed along the specification of the Ministry of Works. We shall ensure that Nigerians must have value for their money,” he said
Chairman, Senate Committee on Works Senator Kabiru Gaya said the project was a cardinal point in the agenda of Buhari led administration. He added that it will be completed in the next three yearsý.
Gaya hinted that the Senate had summoned contractors, who handled the Ibadan-Oyo expressway, which is now in a deplorable condition.
He said: “I will urge the contractor to ýensure quality and speedy construction of the road. This road is very important to President Muhammadu Buhari, Oyo State and the country at large. We shall not tolerate shoddy work and even the contractor that constructed the Section I from Ibadan to Oyo will be probed and will be made to face the law. The agreement on that road was to live up to 15 years, but unfortunately, it’s not even up to three years after completion before it started washing away.”
The senator noted that the government would not tolerate any contractor, who fails to do quality job.
The facilitator of the project, Mrs. Sunmonu, who said she felt indebted to her constituents because resumption of work on the road was her focal point during the 2015 campaign, hailed President Buhari for approving the budget for the former death-trap road.
She revealed that in her bid to ensure that the project got mentioned in 2016 budget, she “co-sponsored a motion moved on the floor of the Senate, which directed investigation into the status of dilapidated and uncompleted roads in Nigeria”.
According to her, “the road and particularly this section, has a chequered history. Despite the fact that the other two sections have been commissioned, this section had been left fallow for a number of years.
“Over the years, the Oyo/Ogbomoso Expressway has deteriorated to a level where maintenance was no longer feasible, having outlived its design life and the road becoming very dangerous to motorists and pedestrians.
Performing the flag off ceremony, Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, who hailed members of the National Assembly, who facilitated the resumption of the road project, stressed the importance of good road networking for the country’s economic growth.
According to him, road infrastructure is a major contributor to economic growth.
The governor noted that it will give room for easy transportation of goods and services and, therefore, aiding trade and commerce. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Thank God for this new development.. More kudos to the facilitator, the oyo state govt and the federal government in particular.. We hope to see speedy and quality work on the project..
ReplyDeleteCongratulation to the people of Oyo,Ogbomoso and kwara thank God for been commencing of the road and kudos to the facilitator may God give them the strength for the speedy of the job and the good quality job well done my people. God bless Nigeria
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