Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has said that the Federal Government (FG) was doing everything possible to fix all federal roads in Ogun State to lessen the plights residents and other road users.
Fashola cited Lagos – Abeokuta expressway, Sagamu -Ogijo road and Sango Ota – Idiroko as three of the federal roads receiving attention in the state, assuring that the contractor – Julius Berger, handling the Lagos – Abeokuta road would soon return to site after it left the place last year.
The minister who spoke while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the inauguration of 850m inner road within the Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The road was part of an initiative aimed at rehabilitating internal roads of tertiary institutions and medical centres across the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
Fashola was represented at the occasion by the Federal Roads Controller in the state, Engr. Forosola Oloyede.
The minister noted that the contractor handling Sagamu – Ogijo road had done 23km out of the 30.04km road, expressing the confidence that road work would be completed before the end of this year.
On the FMC inner road, the minister urged the referal health facility to make good use of it.
“The Lagos – Abeokuta expressway, Sagamu -Ogijo road, Sango Ota – Idiroko road are receiving attention. Those three roads like Lagos – Abeokuta road, you will recall, the contractor Messrs Julius Berger was on site up till July last year when we have differences in the prices of materials and variation in prices of the different materials when the quotation was requested and that has been resolved.
” Any moment from now, the contractor will be back to site. On Ota – Idiroko, there have always been intervention on that too. We have done special repairs two times on the first five kilometers of the road and currently, there is a contractor on that road that is doing special repairs. The big one will come soon where it would be full rehabilitation.
“Also, Globacom has indicated interest in coming together to do partnership with the ministry on tax credit scheme and that one is on going and soon, everybody will see it. On Ogijo road, it starts from Ikorodu to Sagamu. The contractor is on site as we speak. Out of the 30.04km road, they have done 23km stretch. We are looking at 7km left and they are still on site. By the grace of God before the end of this year, the road would be completed.
“In Ogun State we are doing road repairs. There are many roads in the country begging for attention. You know if we picked three from Southwest, other zones need to benefit too. The ones we cannot fully rehabilitate like Lagos – Ota, Lagos – Sagamu, Lagos – Ibadan, they are undergoing special repairs. Also, Iboro, Ilaro is undergoing special repairs. Papalanto to Obele is full rehabilitation. It is not as if the federal government was sitting down and folding its arms, we are aware of the pains of the people, we are part of the people and we live in this environment and pass through the Roads,” she said.
In his response, the FMC Medical Director, Prof.Adewale Olomu, commended the minister and Federal Government, saying they have done more road repairs, rehabilitation and reconstruction across the country amid paucity of funds than predecessors
