Frmo: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Olamilekan Adegbite, says the state government has paid over N4 billion as compensation to owners of buildings demolished to give right of way for the construction of “Ogun Standard Roads” across the state.
This was just as he disclosed that the state government has decided to fix in batches, all the failed-portions on the Lagos-Sango-Ota-Abeokuta road awarded by the Federal Government to Julius Berger Construction Company.
In a statement issued by the Head of Media in the Ministry, Mr. Ayokunle Ewuoso, Adegbite said the decision of the state government to fix the road was borne out of the fact that agonies and sufferings being experienced along the road by motorists and other road users have become embarrassing to the Ibikunle Amosun led administration.
Ewuoso said the Commissioner disclosed this while playing host to members of the State House of Assembly Committee on Works and Infrastructure who were in the ministry for oversight funtion.
Adegbite said his ministry has been mandated to fix permanently, the Toll-Gate axis of the road at Sango-Ota in the Ado-Odo Local Government area of the state, adding that the road would be designed to accommodate drainages such that it would not be problematic anymore.
He said: “The state government had overtime, continued to carry out palliative measures on that road and it has cost us so much money. So, His Excellency the governor has directed that we should evolve permanent solution that we can afford”.
“Right now, we have got a mandate to fix the Toll-Gate permanently. That is the only area we can attack for now because it is really embarrassing as we transit from Lagos to Ogun State”.
On the compensation paid, Adegbite further stated that government has till date, disbursed a total sum of N500 million this year out of the N800 million allocated in the year 2017 budget, adding that government would need an additional sum of about N3 billion to N4 billion to complete the payment.
Emphasising that Ogun government was committed towards ensuring that all affected owners were paid, the Works Commissioner, said that out of the total N8 billon needed for compensation, structure owners in the Sango -Ojodu area of the state would get the largest chunk of between N4 billion to N5 billion owning to the fact that modern buildings were demolished in the area to allow for right-of-ways.
Responding, Chairman House Committee on Works and Infrastructure, Hon. Olayiwola Ojodu, commended the Commissioner and other members of the ministry’s management team for a job-well-done.
Hon. Ojodu note that the ministry has justified the efficient use of the money so far released to it in the year 2017 budget.