By Stephen Gbadamosi, Ibadan
Federal Government (FG) has terminated the contract for construction of the 98-kilometre Oyo – Ogbomoso road originally awarded to a firm, RCC, by the Oyo state government.
Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, made this known during the Oyo State Federal Roads Stakeholders’ Engagement held in Ibadan, the state capital, on Thursday, February 20.
The stakeholders’ engagement held at the instance of the lawmaker representing Egbeda/Ona-Ara federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Honourable Akin Alabi.
It was themed ‘Enhancing Federal Roads in Oyo State: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions’, and brought together key stakeholders to discuss the state of federal roads in the key South-West state.
According to Umahi, the contract revocation was necessitated by the prolonged delay in completion of the road, which has caused hardship to commuters and slowed down economic activities in the area.
Umahi assured the public that the project would soon be re-awarded to a new contractor, emphasising that the government remained committed to delivering the road in the shortest possible time.
“The Oyo – Ogbomoso road project has dragged on for too long. We cannot continue to watch as businesses and livelihoods suffer, due to its non-completion.
“The Federal Government will take decisive action to ensure the project is completed without further delays,” Umahi said.
Stakeholders at the event lamented that the delay in completing the road had had far-reaching consequences on the state’s economy and those of neighbouring communities.
The Oyo – Ogbomoso corridor is a crucial link in the North-South transport network, serving as a major route for goods and services between the South-West and Northern Nigeria.
“The unfinished road has led to increased transportation costs, road accidents, and delays in the movement of agricultural produce and other essential goods,” one of the stakeholders noted, adding that “this has, in turn, slowed down economic activities in Ogbomoso, Oyo, and surrounding areas.”
The road project, which is part of the larger Lagos – Kano expressway, has faced several challenges, including funding constraints, design modifications, and contractual disputes.
However, with the contract now revoked, stakeholders are hopeful that the FG will fast-track the re-award process to a contractor capable of delivering on time.
Convener of the meeting, who is also an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, Alabi, while addressing journalists, decried the slow pace of work on federal roads in the state.
Like all the other federal lawmakers from the state, Alabi, while lamenting the state of some federal roads in Oyo State, called on the Federal Ministry of Works and the contractors to expedite work on the projects.
Hon. Alabi, who is Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Works, specifically mentioned that the Oyo – Ogbomoso road and the Ibadan end of the Lagos -Ibadan expressway were in bad conditions.
Alabi, who spoke on behalf of other lawmakers, said: “They will say charity begins from home. We use this as an opportunity to assess the state of federal roads in Oyo State.
“This is one of the things we have been doing on a daily basis, but because a lot of people are asking us questions, this is an opportunity for them to bring to the fore what we have been doing.
“We believe that this is an opportunity for people out there to know what we have been doing. There are quite a few federal roads in Oyo State; some of them are under contract and are moving fine. Some are not under contract at all.
“Some are under contract, but the pace of work is slow. So, as I said, this is what we have been doing. That is not enough; the Oyo – Ogbomoso road is terrible. Honourable Olamiju Alao-Akala has mentioned how terrible the road is. So, we are picking it one by one.
“Also, the Lagos – Ibadan expressway has been a major problem. The Ibadan end, the Iwo Road to Ojoo; this is because of our intervention. The day after tomorrow, we are going to flag off the construction of that road. So, our intervention is what is going to make that flag-off possible,” he said.
