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Some motorists and commuters in the South-West zone of the country have commended the Federal Government for its strides in infrastructural development, particularly in the areas of road construction and rehabilitation.
In a survey conducted in states in the zone, comprising Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Kwara, the respondents lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to the provision of good roads to facilitate economic development for the country.
According to the respondents, a number of roads in different parts of the region are undergoing rehabilitation, while some new ones have been awarded and are being executed to ease movement of persons and products.
Two commercial drivers plying Ibadan-Ogbomoso route, Messrs Tajudeen Alao and Isiaka Adebisi, said that the ongoing dual carriageway project in that axis was a testimony of the good work by the Federal Government.
The duo expressed satisfaction with the quality of job done so far by Reynold Construction Company (RCC) handling the project, saying cases of auto-accident would be drastically reduced once the road was completed.
Another commercial driver plying Iseyin-Oyo road, Mr Ajibade Mukaila, said that the palliative work recently carried out on the bad portions of the road had enhanced smooth vehicular movement.
A civil servant, Mr Adunola Ogundare and a trader, Mrs Eunice Olawale, both regular travellers on the Iseyin-Okeho road, said that the ongoing rehabilitation of the road had impacted positively on both commuters and motorists.
According to them, the completion of the rehabilitation work will definitely make travelling on the road smooth and safe.
Meanwhile, the Federal Controller of Works in Oyo state, Mr Kayode Ibrahim, has expressed Federal Government’s commitment to completing all the ongoing road projects in the state.
He said that some of the road projects that needed palliative works had been completed while other major construction ones were at different stages of completion.
“Among the ongoing major construction road projects are the 52km Oyo-Ogbomoso dual carriageway, which is at 43.27 per cent completion stage and the 72.70km Ibadan-Abeokuta road, at 79.01 per cent completion stage.
“The rehabilitation of outstanding section of the 28.6km Iseyin-Okeho road, with two outstanding bridges, is at 30.68 per cent completion stage.
“Also, emergency repair of the one-kilometre Ago-Are-Sepeteri road is ongoing and is at 20 per cent completion.
“The emergency repair of the 8.9 km Basi-Agunrege, on Iseyin-Saki road has been completed; likewise the 1.2km Owotoro-Ofiki road.
“In the same vein, the special repairs of 14 critical locations on Iseyin-Oyo road are 100 per cent completed.” Ibrahim stated.
The controller further said that rehabilitation of the 3.6km NTA Takie to LAUTECH roundabout in Ogbomoso had been completed, adding that repair work on the 25.1km Otte- Ogbomoso south-bound road had been completed.
He said that selected roads in the three senatorial districts of the state had benefitted from the federal government’s road intervention project.
Also, the acting Controller of Works, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in Osun, Mr Ayodeji Orisaleye, said that the federal government had completed seven roads, while 14 others were at different stages of completion.
Orisaleye listed the completed roads to include: the 4.7km Ipetu Jesa-Apoti-Ondo state border road, the 7km Ilesa-Ijebu Ijesa road and the 7.4km Ife-Mayfair Roundabout road, with detour to Oduduwa Estate.
Others, according to him, are the 8.5km Osogbo-Akoda dual carriage road, the special repairs of Osogbo-Iwo road, with 12km distance, Osogbo-Iwo road phase II, with 4.8 km distance and the 8km Osogbo-Iwo road.
Orisaleye also said that work was ongoing on dualisation of 22km Ibadan Road-Lagere-Iremo-Enuwa-Ilesa by-pass as well as the rehabilitation of Osogbo-Ilesa road, covering 31.025 km.
He said that the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa dual carriageway in the Oyo/Osun axis, covering a distance of 112km as well as Ilobu-Erinle roads were being reconstructed, while the 15km Ife/Ifewara road and the 44km Ilobu-Erinle road were also under rehabilitation.
Other roads undergoing rehabilitation and reconstruction, according to the controller, are: the 34.5 Ila-Orangun-Ora-Ile-Ekan Meje road and the Gbongan-Iwo-Oyo road, covering a distance of 32.2 km.
He also listed Ojutu bridge in Ilobu, covering a distance of 0.045 km and Illie bridge in Osun covering a distance of 0.44 km as under construction.
The Federal Controller of Works in Ogun, Mr Olaseni Bakare, also told NAN that rehabilitation works were ongoing on various federal roads within the state.
Bakare stated that construction work was ongoing on the 127 km Lagos-Ibadan expressway, beginning from the former toll gate in Lagos and terminating at Ojoo in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
According to the controller, works on the first 43km, stretching of the road from the former toll gate in Lagos to Sagamu interchange in Ogun, is being handled by Julius Berger Plc and supervised by the Lagos office of the Federal Ministry of Works.
He added that the other 84km portion from Sagamu interchange to Ojoo in Ibadan was being handled by Reynold Construction Company (RCC) and supervised by the Ogun office, stressing that it had reached 58 per cent completion stage.
Bakare, who assured that the contractors handling the project were still on site, noted that saying that the federal government had provided steady fund for the project.
On the Abeokuta-Ota road, Bakare explained that the project was equally undergoing rehabilitation works by Julius Berger Plc.
He added that the rehabilitation of the 77km road from Brewery in Ogun to Abule-Egba in Lagos had received special funding, aside the regular funding from the budget allocation.
The controller added that the 57km portion of the road, which is within Ogun corridor, had reached 30 per cent completion level, adding that the contractor was still on site.
He, however, identified poor drainage system as the major cause of some very bad portions of the road like Ewekoro, Tipper garage and Sango area, adding that the portions were being redesigned to address the problem.
Bakare also explained that the rehabilitation of Sagamu-Benin expressway, particularly the Sagamu-Ajebandele axis, being handled by RCC was on course.
Bakare described Sagamu/Papa-Lantoro/Ilaro road as important because it served as the link between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin.
“The design for the road is at an advanced stage at our headquarters in Abuja where discussions are ongoing with a private organisation for the provision of special fund for the rehabilitation,” he said.
The controller added that the Sagamu-Ogijo road was also under rehabilitation, adding that the project was being supervised by the Lagos office of the ministry.
Bakare explained that Ogun government, at a time, started rehabilitation work on Agbara-Atan road, adding that it was later abandoned.
He, however, noted that the Gov. Dapo Abiodun administration had recently directed contractors to move back to site to continue the project, stressing that Abeokuta-Sagamu road was equally being rehabilitated by Ogun government.
“I can tell you that we have several road projects that will soon be awarded because we have sent various proposals to our headquarters in Abuja.
“One of such roads is Sango-Ota-Idiroko road, on which we are currently carrying out palliative works,” he said.
Also, the Federal Government has embarked on construction and rehabilitation of 751-kilometre roads across the three senatorial districts of Kwara from 2017 till date to boost provision of infrastructure for the residents of the state.
The Federal Controller of Works in Kwara, Alhaji Wasiu Atitebi, told NAN in llorin that he had visited some of the ongoing road projects in company with the acting Director of Highways for the North-Central, Mr Aganaba Bola.
According to him, all the contractors handling the projects were on sites.
Atitebi said that the federal government was not owing contractors, adding that all the certificates of payment forwarded to government had been settled to enable them make remarkable progress before the commencement of raining season.
He listed some of the ongoing road projects to include: the dualisation of the 110km llorin-Jebba-Mokwa road, awarded at the cost of N80 billion, the 15km Offa bye-pass to Osun state and rehabilitation of llorin-Omu Aran-Egbe in Kogi.
Others, according to him, are Share-Patigi road, Patigi- Kpada road, Kaima-Kishi road, llorin-lgbeti road and construction of Ohan bridge on lgbeti road, among others.
Atitebi advised all the contractors handling the projects to execute the jobs in line with specifications as a way of improving infrastructure in the state.
The controller also said that the federal government was currently embarking on the construction and rehabilitation of 43 intervention road projects in some tertiary institutions across the state.
According to him, the projects were aimed enhancing conducive learning environment and creating employment opportunities for residents within the vicinities of the institutions.
The FRSC Sector Commander in Kwara, Jonathan Owoade, also commended the federal and state governments for their commitments to road rehabilitation and safety in the state.
“I still receive complaints from the public and stakeholders on issues bordering on bad roads, especially Idofian-Ajase Ipo road.
“I know it is a gradual process. Government will, in no time, look into the remaining roads.
“The Kwara government is trying; they have embarked on constant road rehabilitation and maintenance within and around the state capital.
“I also commend the federal government, as Ilorin-Ogbomoso road has been under repairs for some months now to ensure that it is motorable.
On the allegations of neglect of federal roads in Ekiti, the Controller, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in the state, Mr Otegbade Oladiran, said the projects already completed and those ongoing were being closely monitored to ensure quality jobs.
He said only recently, some of the constituency projects executed by National Assembly members from the state, in partnership with the ministry, were inspected.
The controller explained that though the constituency projects were initiated and facilitated by the lawmakers for their constituents, the funding and supervision aspect fell within the purview of the ministry.
He said that the essence of the inspection was to ascertain if the projects were functioning after completion and if the contractors had been fully paid after executing them according to specifications.
Oladiran said it was the intention of government to continue to prioritise projects that had direct impact on the lives of the masses for the socio-economic growth of the country.
He noted that the inspection was also to intimate the constituents on the positive results of the collaboration of government with those representing them.
The controller expressed satisfaction with the level of jobs done on various projects, expressing the hope that residents would take ownership of those projects and guide them jealously.
