Makinde happy with pace of works on infrastructure – Works Commissioner

The Oyo State Commissioner for Works, Infrastructure and Public Transport, Professor Dahud Kehinde Shangodoyin, said  at the weekend, that Governor ‘Seyi Makinde and the Executive Council  of Oyo State are happy with the pace of work on the various on-going infrastructure development projects in the state.

The commissioner, who stated this while speaking with newsmen shortly after Governor Makinde and senior officials of the Ministry concluded an inspection tour of the ongoing projects in Ibadan metropolis, said the governor was determined to turn the state of infrastructure around.

He  said that  the infrastructure projects being built by the Makinde government are directly targeted at the economy of the state.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the commissioner as also saying that most of the road projects started by the administration will be commissioned this year.

Shangodoyin: “The governor wanted to physically see the projects for himself to see how far we have gone. We have gone to the underpass, which is along Onipepeye Airport road, to see the level of work we have done.

“Right now, we have seen that the by-pass for both left and right side of the bridge is almost completed. At the other end, the contractor has said it will be completed in the next two weeks, they will complete the by-pass so that they can break the bridge into two and construct the second underpass for that road.

“That was what we met on the ground today. His Excellency was satisfied with the work and promised he would come back.

“Also, we went to Akanran, Olorunsogo road to inspect the dualisation of the road, which is about 3.1 kilometres. The extent is from Beere to Dagbolu, which is about 37 kilometres. But His Excellency wanted  to see the portion, which is the 3.1 kilometres dualisation because we want to commence work on that too.

“At the end of Olorunsogo Bridge up to the other bridge, which is up to 3.1 kilometres, it is going to be dualised. That is exactly what we have looked at now. The contractor handling the project is on the other side, from Beere. Now that His Excellency has seen it, he will give his blessings for them to commence the dualisation of the Olorunsogo/Dagbolu road.

“We also inspected the last one, which was Olodo Bridge and the new thing there is that we are looking for junction improvement. When we got there, we found out that in two to three minutes, there was traffic congestion. So, that is the practical approach in which the governor wants us to look at it and find an alternative route and junction improvement so that we can decongest that bridge.

“Those are the projects we inspected for the day and others are on-going.”

The commissioner maintained that the infrastructure projects being executed by the government would improve the economy of the respective areas, adding that the focus of the Makinde-led administration is to expand the economy of the state by reducing the infrastructure deficit.

“The good thing is that we are actually satisfied that the work on the Ajia-Airport Road project and others will bring about economic improvement in the respective areas.

“The road will ease traffic and help us to link the Ajia/Amuloko road. So, that is part of our strategy to improve the economy of the state in terms of vehicular movement.

“On the Ajia-Airport road, the work so far is getting to where we have to appreciate the contractor because they have almost completed the drainage, the hydraulic system and the structure of that place.

“They have almost done five kilometres of the earthwork to the end of the airport and tarred it. The other part remaining is from the Ajia to the Airport, which we are gradually working on the drainage. The work is on-going and we are satisfied with it. With the contractor’s plan, we are going to commission the project within this year.

“The people of the state should expect that our economy will be supported by the infrastructure and we will also commission the majority of the road projects that this administration has commenced this year,” the commissioner added.