Ogun Road Construction Gulped N4.325bn in 6 Months

In a state ministry’s 2020 budget performance defence, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Adebowale Akinsanya, said the state had spent a total of N 4.325bn in the last six months on road rehabilitation and construction.

The huge spendings, through its infrastructural and other developmental projects, on roads are targeted towards ensuring that the state is open for industrialization and economic development, the commissioner reiterated. 

CAMPUS REPORTER has kept a diary on the Ogun State industrial revolution, publishing that state’s industrial growth had declined due to bad roads. As a follow-up, it reported that the state had begun massive road reconstructions to sustain more investments.

According to the Commissioner, the roads included; Epe Road (Ijebu Ode-Mojoda), Fajol-Ajegunle/America Junction Alogi, Oba Erinwole, Sagamu, Molipa/Fesogboye/Ojofa Street in Ijebu-Ode, Osi-Ikola-Navy Command Road, Ota and Panseke-Adigbe Road. Others are Vespa-Ikorita Meje-Olose Titun road in Ifo, Araromi/Sokoto Road in Iperu Remo, Oru-Awa-Ilaporu Ibadan Road, grading of Ikoro Otun Lafenwa, palliative works on Ojere/Oba/Lisabi Road and Egbebi road in Abeokuta, amongst others.

Akinsanya, who spoke before the State House of Assembly Committee on Works and Infrastructure, led by Abayomi Fasuwa at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, said that the sum of N142.03m was spent on recurrent expenditures, including salaries and other overhead costs within the period under review.

Similarly, the General Manager of the state’s Public Works Agency (OGPWA), Gbenga Akintola, added that over 30 roads across the three Senatorial Districts between January and June this year were worked on and the exercise gulped N 48.249m.

The exercise includes; spreading of the stone base and asphalting, excavation, backfilling and construction of concrete drains, drainage distillation and repair of failed portions of roads across the State.

In their various remarks, the lawmakers called for the rehabilitation of roads in their respective constituencies, to aid human and vehicular movements, imploring the agency to put in place safety measures at the sites of all the ongoing projects across the State.

Despite the assertion by the commissioner, residents still lament over bad roads and infrastructural developments in their various communities.