By Zika Bobby and Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has said his administration will construct more urban, semi urban and rural roads in 2018, to ensure overall development of the state.
Amosun, who disclosed this on the floor of the House of Assembly while presenting the 2018 Appropriation Bill, listed the names of urban roads to be constructed to include 26km Sagamu-Ogijo, 28km Ikangba-Ilese-Itele and 26km Ilisan-Ago-Iwoye roads.
Others are 36 km Abeokuta-Sagamu interchange, 24km Atan-Agbara, 42km Sango-Ojodu, 5.5km Enugada-Adatan, 3.5km Itoku-Ajitadun-Iberekodo and 10km Adatan-Alabata-Camp Junction roads.
Amosun, who was quoted in a statement by the Head of Media in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ayokunle Ewuoso, noted that 171 rural roads and 25 semi-urban roads cutting across the three senatorial districts had been earmarked for construction while three flyover bridges at Ilaro, Oju Ore in Ota and Lusada junction would be constructed.
“The provision of adequate infrastructure will always be a critical part of this administration. As the Gateway State, we will use the resources at our disposal to ensure our business people and, residents alike, enjoy continuous improved mobility in and around our state.’’
The governor pointed out that 21.3 percent share of the total budget was allocated to the rural and infrastructural development/employment generation, and added that a budget size of N345.42 billion, which represents 57 percent increase, compared to the 2017 budget, was presented to commence new projects and fast-track the completion of the ongoing ones before the end of his tenure.
Amosun assured the people that the state government would not relent in its efforts at ensuring the development of the Olokola Deep Sea Port and the Olokola Free Trade Zone, and urged well-meaning investors to partner the government in its bid at developing Tongeji Island.
Meanwhile, ahead of the 2019 governorship election in Ogun State, Ogun West Peoples Council (OWPC) has warned stakeholders to oppose back door endorsement of aspirants, saying this may boomerang for the zone.
President of Ogun West Consultative Forum, Mr. Kayode Ajibola, who is also a chieftain of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in the state, had, on Tuesday in Ilaro, endorsed Lagos West Senator, Solomon Adeola, for the 2019 governorship election. In a statement issued in Sango Ota and signed by OWPC Chairman, Alhaji Taiwo Ahmed, yesterday, the group said any such endorsement is preposterous, erroneous and an affront against the people of Ogun West.
In a related development, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2011 and 2015 general elections, Gboyega Isiaka, has described the purported screening by the Ogun West Consultative Forum and the eventual endorsement of Adeola as as a sham Isiaka said although he attended a meeting called by the group, he was never screened or asked to present any document in that respect.
Isiaka said this in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, yesterday, during an interactive session with newsmen.
He said irrespective of Adeola’s endorsement, he will contest and succeed governor Amosun in 2019.
On the political platform he will contest, GNI, who said he remained a member of the PDP, however, disclosed that he may have to seek alternative platform if the crisis in the party lingers than necessary.
“What is crystal clear is that I want to contest and I want to win. I want to use the best platform that would make that possible. Right now I am in PDP, I wish and I pray that it is so. Part of the matters is that we still have issues in PDP. All those issues have not been cleared, the only one that has been cleared is that of national.
“Before now, we used to have both national and state. In National we had Ali Modu Sherrif and Makarfi, in the state, Bayo Dayo executive still saying it wants to be there till 2020. We had a congress that also produced a parallel, so, you can see issues, and we are hoping that once the national officers emerge at the national convention, these will be addressed very squarely, as soon as possible.
“But if we continue to have this headache, I may be stupid to continue to believe that this is what will take me to Eldorado. Because with what I have experienced in the past where there was no stability, I am not going to have it the third time. So, if for any reason, those issues I mentioned continue to linger, I have to take a decision,” he said.