By Seyifunmi Odunuga
The Oyo State House of Assembly has queried the non-completion of rehabilitation work on some Federal roads in Ogbomoso and other parts of Oyo State.
To this end, the State Legislature has called on the Zonal Director of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to appear before it on July 15 to explain what the Agency has been doing in the State since November 5, 2019 when it last appeared at the plenary
It also called on FERMA to expedite work on the ongoing rehabilitation of its roads across the State while also appealing to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to complete the Ogbomoso section of the Ibadan,Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ilorin dual carriage Expressway
The call was made by the House at its Tuesday sitting following a motion jointly sponsored by Hon Sanjo Adedoyin (Ogbomoso South) and Hon Bimbo Oladeji (Ogbomoso North).
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin said it was unfortunate that most Federal roads are no longer motorable in the State.
“We cannot overestimate the importance of good roads in any Community. They link cities, towns and communities as well as ease transportation of people and goods. I think the Federal Ministry and the Maintenance Agency need to do more to put their roads in good shape.
The duo of Hon Adedoyin and Hon Oladeji condemned in strong words the perpetual delay in the completion of Ogbomoso section of the Expressway linking the South to the North, and other ongoing federal roads in the town
Hon Adedoyin, who read the motion, said this has made articulated vehicles to take Ipeba-Ajaawa road to Baptist Ogbomoso to link Oja-Igbo and eventually to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital road enroute Ilorin.
He noted that it was the same story as rehabilitation work on Apake to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital road as well as from Takie Square to Caretaker is at snail speed hence traffic too has since been diverted.
“Aware that the delay in the completion of Ogbomoso section of the Ibadan,Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ilorin dual carriage Expressway and the deplorable condition of Oyo/Ogbomoso road has made motorists including heavy duty vehicles to use the feeder roads as their alternative routes. The diversion has resulted into massive destruction of the feeder roads, electrical poles, cables and several culverts,” Hon Adedoyin said.
While contributing, Hon Bimbo Oladeji explained that the completion of all Federal roads in Ogbomoso was long overdue adding that the bad condition of Oyo/Ogbomoso expressway has led to loss of lives of motorists due to accidents.
“We are tired of the slow pace of work on the dual carriage expressway. We waste hours on the Oyo/Ogbomoso road because of deep holes , gullies and heavy traffic. Not to mention daily armed robbery attacks on motorists. FERMA and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing should come to our rescue urgently,” Hon Oladeji stressed.
The motion further appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde through the Public Works Department and the Works department in various LG and LCDAs to help carry out repair work on some of the feeder and access roads in Ogbomoso already degraded due to increase in the volume of traffic occasioned by the diversion.
In their various comments, other Lawmakers decried the conditions of Federal roads in their Constituencies.
They said most of the Federal roads seem to have been abandoned across the State, and queried the activities of FERMA and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing across the state.
