“You can never reach your destination if you stop by the roadside to throw stone at every dog that barks.” Winston Churchill
Apostle Paul, perhaps, must have had Ogun State and its people in mind when he admonished early Christian converts in Romans 14 vs 16 to ensure their good deed is not evil spoken of. Today in modern day Ogun State, an evil of epic proportion is playing out. The evil, regrettably, proceeds from an amalgam of mischief, ignorance and political opportunism cum adventurism.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s good intentions are being evil spoken of. The governor’s noble plans of opening up the state for investors are being pilloried. Fangs are out and pot shots are landing with amazing rapidity over a futuristic step designed to further expose the state to modern infrastructure.
The governor, since his inauguration in 2011, has not masked his desire to deliver modern and world class infrastructure comparable anywhere in the advanced world in the state.
The administration had used modern infrastructure and good governance as bait to open up the State. The steps indeed have paid off as over 120 new firms have been attracted to the state in just under six years.
Hence in 2012, the government had conceived an ambitious plan designed to firmly plant the state as an industrial hub in West Africa. Part of the plan was the construction of a 10-lane road from the heart of Abeokuta, the State capital, to Sagamu.
In deciding to build the road, the government was aware of the sudden surge in the number of international conglomerates that have, or are on the verge of acquiring lands for industrial purposes in the state.
The demand to secure factory space along this particular road is high and competitive. For instance, Coca Cola bottling company and SAB Miller, the world’s biggest brewer, have both acquired land along the corridor and are investing over $100 million in the projects.
Several lesser known foreign companies, including a Korean firm interested in setting up the second largest refinery in Nigeria have all secured lands. An automobile assembly plant is equally about to open shop in the state. Undoubtedly, the operation of these firms will reduce joblessness in the land and raise the national GDP.
With the deluge of firms seeking to invest in the state, the state government saw an urgent need for strategic and innovative forward-thinking approach.
One of the key requirements for location of an industry is good road network. The Amosun’s government has embarked on 16 of such standard roads across the state. However, many firms are eyeing the Abeokuta-Sagamu corridor, which necessitates the need to put a standard road in place before the arrival of the firms.
It is a classical forward thinking move that would prevent the present awkward situation being experienced on Ikorodu Road in Lagos.
When the present Ikorodu Road was conceived as a six-lane road over 40 years ago, many people were skeptical, describing it as a waste of scarce resources designed to siphon public funds.
Today, however, the government of Lagos State would be willing to do anything if it can to expand the road to 12 lanes without paying crippling compensation to those whose properties would be demolished. This is what Governor Amosun is trying to avoid now that it still has that opportunity to learn from the Ikorodu Road experience.
Lagos surely must be blessing the vision of those that conceived the idea of Ikorodu Road because of the several privileges it has attracted to the state. For instance, the width of the road was one key reason why the World Bank financed its BRT programme. The World Bank would never have supported the programme on roads less than six lanes.
It is benefits like this that prompted the administration of Senator Amosun to also be thinking ahead by embarking on the construction of this expressway.
Besides, the width of the road is also one reason multilateral agencies are enthusiastic in partnering with the state in financing the road construction.
When completed, two lanes on either side of the expressway would be built with concrete and will be reserved for trucks and other heavy duty vehicles. The advantage of this is huge. It will reduce accident rate on the road as well as preserve the lifespan of the road.
The proposed expressway would also host the rail transport project being planned by the state government which will run parallel to connect the Federal Government rail line at Sagamu interchange. This will greatly reduce the travel time between Abeokuta and Lagos.
When completed, the rail line will further shorten the distance between Lagos and Ogun states such that more people can then live in Abeokuta or Sagamu and work on the Lagos Island.
This vision is also being complemented with the array of housing estate development projects which are located along that axis. The benefit of the project could then best be imagined in terms of a huge boost in the Internally Generated Revenue of the state.
Instructively, the project is to be constructed in phases. Phase One is to cover between Government House, Oke-Igbein, Ibara and the PMB Estate in Kobape.
The entire project would include four flyover bridges at different points and other road furniture and it was awarded in 2014 to CCECC. But fund constraint ensured that the contractor was not mobilised to site.
The initial fund for the construction is from the Ogun State Government in the form of counterpart funding with some multilateral development agencies who have bought into the government’s vision by partnering with the state administration.
What is just required of the state government is to commence the project as a way of demonstrating seriousness after which the development partners will take over the funding.
Interestingly, the development partners determine the road they want their funds to be spent on, and also weigh in heavily on the specification of such roads.
Happily, this sort of funding usually comes for periods of not less than 40 years and attracts a maximum of 1 per cent interest!
Securing foreign development funds to construct infrastructure is however not unique with the Amosun regime. Late Chief Olabisi Onabanjo secured a similar facility to construct the three Gateway Hotels at 1 per cent interest rate.
Arguments are also raised over the propriety of the road when some roads started by the administration are yet to be completed. I hasten to say that the new road would not in any way affect the planned completion of the roads.
The roads have been captured in the 2017 Fiscal year. The state government will complete many of the ongoing projects while new ones, especially rural roads that will impact on our agricultural output, will also be constructed.
This new road is another way of placing a lie to the age long believe in Nigeria’s political circles that governors do nothing during their second term in office.
, Balogun is a media aide to Governor Ibikunle Amosun. He can be reached via balogunesola@gmail.com.