A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe; and the Federal Comptroller of Works, Ogun State, Umar Bakare, have expressed disappointment at the poor quality of work done by DC Engineering Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling Olomi-Ijebu road.
Akande-Sadipe said that if rehabilitated, the 25-kilometre Olomi-Ijebu Igbo road and the 35-kilometre stretch of Liberty Academy road, which connects Oyo State with neighbouring Ogun State, would stimulate economic activities, attract local and foreign investment, improve the quality of road network and reduce the hardship on her constituents.
The Oluyole Federal Constituency Representative at the Green Chamber made the remarks on Sunday when she embarked on a joint inspection of the roads with officials from the federal government establishments and the affected communities.
Akande-Sadipe, who lamented the untold hardship commuters along the 25 km Olomi-Ijebu Igbo Road face on account of its present deplorable condition, also expressed displeasure at the present state of Liberty-Academy Road within her constituency.
She urged the Federal Ministry of Works to prevail on the construction company to perform its obligation on the road in the interest of the people of the state.
She said: “We have gone round and you have seen the Olomi road. It is deplorable and completely unacceptable. The design is flawed.
“How can a bridge on this kind of expanse of road not be a dual carriageway?” she queried
“The contractor, DC Engineering Limited, has done a very poor job and has been too slow, after so many years.
“The officers of the ministry should please ensure that the funds allocated are well spent and a satisfactory job delivered.”
Akande-Sadipe, who Chairs the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, also lamented that other roads contracted out at the same time three years ago have been completed.
She noted that within two years, the tarred parts of the Olomi road had developed problems.
The Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission, South-West, Mr. Folawiyo, who joined the inspection said that the commission would ensure that the issues are dealt with and the contractor called to order.
He asked the community to copy him in all complaints, adding that the commission would urgently assess such complaints, including those where the contractor solicited and received money from the communities in carrying out responsibilities on the project.
In his remarks, the Comptroller, Ogun State, Mr. Umar Bakare, said the ministry had taken it upon itself to technically inspect the road, which he noted was in a very bad state.
According to him, the ministry would monitor the construction of the road and bridges, to ease the movement of traffic.
While thanking Hon. Akande-Sadipe for her interventions, he pointed at the lack of proper drainage system and link roads to communities.
On the other road inspected, the Liberty Academy road, in her remarks the South-West Zonal Coordinator, FERMA, Mrs. Mary Adeniran, explained that as part of its duties, the agency would see to the maintenance of federal roads within Oluyole Federal Constituency.
Speaking during an inspection of Liberty-Academy road, she promised to follow up with a critical inspection of the road up to the Ogun State border towards further rehabilitation of the road.
The Baale of Olomi, Chief Samuel Oyewale, lauded Hon. Tolu Akande-Sadipe for the constant infrastructure commitments to the constituency, including provision of transformers.