The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, at the weekend reiterated his administration’s commitment to complete road projects awarded but abandoned by the immediate past administration led by Ibikunle Amosun.
Abiodun said these roads have direct socioeconomic benefits on the residents of the state.
The governor further said more funds would be allocated to the ongoing construction of 53km Lafenwa-Ayetoro Road to ensure its timely completion.
He noted that the project, also awarded by his predecessor, ought to have been given more priority than it was given by the previous administration, saying work would be expedited on the project which he described as “major arterial road between Ogun Central and Ogun West”.
Abiodun stated these on the sideline of the inspection of three key road projects: Lafenwa-Ayetoro, Panseke-Adigbe-Opako and Oke-Lantoro-Elite-Idi Aba, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
He said: “We are committed to the quick completion of Lafenwa-Ayetoro Road because it accounts for thousands of our citizens that are traveling between Ayetoro and Abeokuta for commerce, school and work.
“In my own opinion, this project should have been given more priority than it was given by the previous administration.
“We should have not come to meet this project in the state as we have met it.”
Abiodun further noted that he had seen for himself some portions of the road, which required immediate attention, adding that he had ordered the contractor handling the road to as a matter of urgency move to the affected areas and make movement around the corridor motorable.
He said: “I have seen that there are areas and pockets of parts of this project that require immediate attention, particularly the part and area towards Lafenwa Market, which is extremely deplorable.
“I have consequently instructed the contractor to move to that part of this project and immediately make it motorable so that it can bring the needed relief to the travelling passengers going from Abeokuta to Ayetoro.”
On the 3km Panseke-Adigbe-Opako Road, Abiodun disclosed that the road will be further extended by 1.5km to solve the perennial flooding and submerging of Opako Culvert as well as to ease vehicular movement between Obafemi Owode and Abeokuta South Local Government Areas.
He, however, disclosed that he had been assured by the construction company that the road would be completed by the second week of May.
He said: “The contractor has assured us that this project will be finished second week of May.
“We will be back here.
“We are going to hold the contractor to his words.
“He says May 20.
“That date is just about another month and a half away and we will all come back here to witness that indeed the road is completed.”
Meanwhile, the governor has assured residents on Oke-Lantoro-Elite-Idi Aba Road that the faulty power transformer serving the area would be fixed before Easter celebration.
He also informed the residents that the drainage along road had been redesigned to accommodate more water, adding that a canal on the road would be dredged with a retaining wall built to ensure that the water flows freely.
While calling on the people of the area to desist from dumping refuse into the canal, Abiodun disclosed that the asphalt laying of the road would commence very soon.