31st July, 2019
By Adejoke Adeleye
The government of Ogun State is set to take over three major federal government roads in the state to bolster activities in its main industrial hubs.
The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun said he had sought the permission of the federal government to dualize three major Federal roads linking the state and Lagos under the public, private sector partnership arrangement.
The roads are: Ikorodu–Ogijo–Shagamu, Epe–Ijebu–Ode and Lagos–Ota –Abeokuta.
The governor who gave this hint during an interface with the World Bank officers in Abuja, disclosed that the takeover became necessary because of the economic importance of the roads to the state.
Abiodun, in a statement released by Kunle Somorin, his Chief Press Secretary, said he was at the World Bank to share his vision of collective prosperity for Ogun people and bring on board global best practices on the ease of doing business from the World Bank.
The governor, who underscored the importance of development partnership to actualise his “building our future together” agenda and the centrality of public private sector partnerships, said “The Lagos – Abeokuta road is a sorry sight when it rains and our people need to commute to and from Lagos everyday because we are to Lagos what New Jersey is to New York.
“Also, the people who commute through Iyana Ilogbo will tell you of the nightmare they encounter everyday because of potholes which cause endless gridlock. This is a road that has been under construction for a long time and still needs about N26bn before completion.
“Only N1bn was in this year’s federal budget for that same road. So, as a responsible government, which is closer to the people, we have to do something,” Abiodun said
He stated further that the Epe – Ijebu Ode road requires similar intervention, just as the Ikorodu-Shagamu corridor.
“Lagos has completed it’s own end of the Epe-Ijebu Ode road. What we need is to make it a total package; it is about 14.4km. So, we are taking it over because the welfare of our people matters. It will become an alternative route for motorists going to the Eastern part of the country”.
According to the Governor, these were critical projects that would enhance the welfare of our people and also contribute immensely to his “focused and qualitative governance” agenda in Ogun State.
The governor emphasised that he had outlined a number of bills to be sent to the State Assembly for approval as this would give necessary legal teeth to the proposed programmes, thereby bringing the dividends of democracy to the good people of the state, saying that some of these proposed laws were on the Ogun State Investment Promotion Agency, the PPP to attract and secure private investments into Ogun State.
“Since infrastructural development will strengthen the investment drive of our administration, we are equally setting up a Public Works Agency to boost local capacity and also make Ogun State Security Trust Fund more vibrant since investment cannot thrive without peace and security.”
In response, the World Bank team, led by its Country Director Rachid Benmessaoud, commended the foresight of the Abiodun-led administration.
He urged the government to probe why the state’s healthcare indices fall by 10.5% between 2015 and 2018.
Surveys conducted in 2015 and 2018 saw Ogun State regressed by 10.5%, whereas Yobe State got $30m for its exemplary public health initiatives from the World Bank, as Osun also did very well and was rewarded with $20m.
“Also the global financial institution had thought it wise to assist a number of people affected by the recent flooding in the state, as enunciated by the Governor, having requested for the bank’s assistance.
“Therefore the World Bank has considered Ogun State among other states in Nigeria that will benefit from a $900m intervention fund on ecological challenges.
“Also it will assist to serve as a time succour to the affected families and towns across the Gateway State. The bank is currently partnering with Ogun State on a number of initiatives like the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP) which is aimed at providing an institutional and logistic framework for a private-public partnership engagement and in the areas of rural road construction and agricultural development,” he said.