- Safiu Kehinde
Ogun State government has, today, commenced the construction of the 70-kilometer Abeokuta-Ifo-Ota-Lagos Expressway.
The road construction project, according to a statement issued the state government’s official X handle, was flagged off by Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, at Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area.
Speaking at the flag-off event, Abiodun noted that the road is significant not only to Ogun State but also to Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.
The governor disclosed that the project has been on desk since 2003, but the state needed to get Federal Government’s consent as it was a Federal road.
“The plan for the reconstruction of this road did not just start today because we have the interest of our people at heart
“We know this is a Federal Government road, and the State had to follow the due process before getting the required approval to commence the reconstruction.
“This road was awarded 2003, but since then, it has suffered insufficient funding, resulting in contractors working and many times abandoning the road at times for a year by when the roads would have suffered degradation.
“Our people have suffered too much travelling on this road, but today Hope is Renewed.” Abiodun said.
He further revealed how the state government had appealed to the Federal Government for its consent after failed attempt in 2019.
“I am glad to inform you that work is beginning on the road immediately. The excuse then was that there was a sitting contractor on the road.
“The best the State could do at that time was to carry out palliative works on the critical sections along the road axis.
“We re-opened our appeal to the Federal Government to reconstruct the road upon inauguration of His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who graciously, through the Honourable Minister for Works, handed over the reconstruction of the road to Ogun State.” Abiodun added.
While appreciating the Federal Government for its consent, Abiodun described the road as the second most busiest road after Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.