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Governor Rauf Aregbesola of 0sun State has flagged off the construction of 218.12 kilometres of roads estimated to cost N16.21 billion.
The roads are to be constructed in 30 local government areas and one area council of the state.
The project tagged ‘10km roads per local government’ is to be financed by the local governments but coordinated and implemented in conjunction with the state government.
According to the governor, part of the money for the project came from funds accruable from the Excess Crude Oil Fund (ECOFUND).
Out of this amount, N6 billion has been put down while permission was taken from the state House of Assembly to borrow the balance, which would be repaid within 60 months (5 years) as a way to make the repayment easy for the local governments.
Aregbesola said there would be no excuse for any contractor not to perform and deliver because all of them would be adequately mobilised soon.
The roads, billed to be completed across all the local governments between March and September 2013, according to the governor, have been awarded to competent contractors through due process.
“What we are doing today is to tell the people that the road project is entirely the brainchild of the local government councils; the state government only partnered with them in the area of coordinating execution of the projects.
“What our administration is demonstrating with this road project is to tell the people that not all politicians are wasteful with regards to resource management,†the governor said.
According to him, the cardinal objective of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) is first and foremost to improve the welfare of the people. He commended the Osun State House of Assembly for its understanding and cooperation in making the project a success, saying without the support of the lawmakers, nothing would have been achieved.
Meanwhile, Kolapo Alimi, commissioner for local government, said the success of the road project hinged on the governor’s innovation and financial ingenuity. In his remark, Gbenga Ogunkanmi, executive secretary of Ayedire Local Government, whose council area hosted the flag-off ceremony, lauded the vigour with which Aregbesola was pursuing the development of the state.
The quality of the roads to be constructed is a departure from what used to be the tradition, he said, saying the roads after their completion have minimum of 20 years lifespan.
“I can tell you people today that the achievements of the Aregbesola government in just two years have by far surpassed the more than seven years of the past administration,†Ogunkanmi said.
Present at the ceremony were the secretary to the government, Moshood Adeoti; deputy speaker of the House of Assembly, Akintunde Adegboye, other members of the House and executive secretaries of the 30 local governments and one area office.
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