Oyo State Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport, Hon. Abdulmojeed Olawale Mogbonjubola, has said that the administration of Governor ‘Seyi Makinde has transformed the state into a new economic hub in the South-West. He said that through the delivery of high-impact, durable and cross-functional roads and hydraulics and the implementation of policies towards the improvement of the transport sector, the government has transformed the state into an investors’ destination. Mogbonjubola, who stated this at the Omituntun 2.0 Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing held at the Governor’s Office Briefing Room, said Governor Makinde can be described as the Master Builder of modern Oyo State, as his vision to build an economically vibrant and aesthetically delightful state that will be a preferred destination for all and sundry has become a reality. Noting that Makinde’s popular mantra, where roads go development follows, has been justified by the high volume of businesses and investments coming into the state, the Commissioner said that the administration has, in the last two years of Omituntun 2.0, delivered 368.9 kilometres of roads, building on the enviable foundation it laid during the governor’s first term by building roads that connect all zones of the state and improving inner roads. He said that of all the ongoing road projects in the state, the 110 kilometres Ibadan Circular Road, named after former Governor Rasidi Ladoja, stands out as the star project, noting that the 32km first phase of the project known as the South-East Wing, running from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to Badeku Village on Ibadan-Ile Ife Expressway, would be delivered before the end of the year. He said: “One of the greatest road construction projects in the state at the moment is the Ibadan Circular Road Project. We have that assurance that by the time we have the Circular Road in place, the traffic that normally builds up around the Iwo Road Interchange and some other economic hubs of the metropolis would have been eliminated. “What the Circular Road is doing for us is that it will be a one-stop shop for economic development. It is going to be the first motorway in Nigeria and it will have a corridor. At the corridor, we will have world class estates, both residential and industrial. “It has an entire span of 110 kilometres with four segments. The first segment is the South-East segment spanning from Abiola Ajimobi Technical University to Badeku Village on Ibadan-Ile Ife Expressway. At the moment, the state government is doing the asphalt pavement of that segment. We have achieved like 70 per cent completion of that South-East Wing. The work on that segment is being carried out by two contractors. Messrs Craneburg Construction Ltd is working on Lot 1, while Messrs Kopek is working on the second lot of that segment. “By the end of this year, the first 32 kilometres of the entire 110km will be commissioned, because at the moment, we have achieved 70 per cent of progress on the 32 kilometres first segment.” Speaking on the sustainability of the Circular Road project, Mogbonjubola added, “the Ibadan Circular Road is a world-class project. We should not be doing any major maintenance on the project in the next 20 years. But the major path to that sustainability is that the project will be tolled. “At the Tech-U entrance, we would put a weighbridge and a tolling pad. The maintenance will be concessioned. The governor has said that it is the first motorway in Nigeria. There will be about three to four entrances and they will be tolled.” The Commissioner also addressed the issue of the rising cost of the project, stating that the project cost had to be reviewed because when it was first awarded, the exchange rate was N340 to a US dollar as opposed to the present where a dollar is about N1,540. He added that the government has also completed 95 per cent of bush clearing on the second segment of the project, which is the 39km North-East Wing, running from Badeku Village to Molarere on Moniya-Iseyin Road axis, adding that the contract for the hydraulics, underpass, and overhead bridges has been awarded and the contractor is about moving to site. He said that the state would proceed with the clearing of the third and the fourth segments of the project. The Works Commissioner noted that apart from the Circular Road, the government has also achieved the asphaltic improvement of inner roads within the state, which according to him, has helped to improve the ease of doing business, reduced the man hour spent on transportation and also improved the economy of the state. Apart from road infrastructure, Mogbonjubola stated that the construction of bus terminals and the masterful handling of the transport system through the establishment of Park Management System have also culminated into Oyo State becoming more peaceful, saner and a desired hub for investors. The Commissioner also gave an update on the Iwo Road Mega Bus Terminal, saying that the contractor is putting final touches to the project, which is set to redefine the transport system of Ibadan, adding that the state has also begun to deploy technology towards making the transportation sector more orderly with the introduction of spike system to curtail one-way driving. Responding to questions on the Agbowo Shopping Complex, Mogbonjubola maintained that the state government has not lost focus on delivering the project, which he said would boost the economy of the state once completed, noting, however, that the right process must be followed to achieve desired results. The Commissioner equally pointed out that apart from the road projects; the state government has also been working on the construction of new buildings at the Oyo State High Court Complex, among other projects. The Works Commissioner attended the briefing with the Coordinating Director of the Ministry, Engr Rauf Amao and Director of Highways, Engr Fadare Gbeminiyi.
