The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oyo-Ogbomoso

  • FG terminates Oyo-Ogbomoso road contract awarded to RCC

    FG terminates Oyo-Ogbomoso road contract awarded to RCC

    The federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Works, has terminated the 98km Oyo-Ogbomoso road contract awarded to RCC Construction Company.

    FG said that the project was long overdue.

    Speaking at the Oyo Federal Roads Stakeholders’ Engagement in Ibadan, themed: “Enhancing Federal Roads in Oyo State: Challenges and Sustainable Solutions”, Minister for Works, Dave Umahi assured the public that the project would soon be re-awarded to another contractor.

    The event had the attendance of the Chairman, House Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, Chairman, House Committee on Federal Road Maintainance Agency (FERMA), Aderemi Oseni, Hon. Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala, state lawmakers, representative of Olubadan, Chief Lekan Alabi, and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) among others.

    Read Also: Appeal Court affirms Olaoye as Soun of Ogbomoso

    Recall that failure to complete the road on time has hindered economic growth not only in the area but across Oyo State as a whole.

    In his remark, Alabi said as the Chairman of the House Committee on Works and the representative of Egbeda/Ona Ara Federal Constituency, he understands the significant role that good road infrastructure plays in the economic and social development of Oyo state.

    According to him, roads are the lifelines of commerce, trade, and daily life, saying the condition of federal roads in Oyo state remains a pressing concern that requires immediate and collective action.

    He stated that the gathering was not just about highlighting challenges but proffering solutions.

    He said, “It is about bringing together the voices that matter like government officials, engineers, transporters, business owners, and the everyday road users, to discuss, deliberate, and chart a clear course toward improving our road network.

    He, however, urged all Nigerians particularly people in the state to collaborate towards a sustainable framework that will ensure all Federal roads in Oyo are safe, durable, and efficient for all users.

  • Lawmakers urge Fashola to fix Oyo-Ogbomoso road

    Lawmakers urge Fashola to fix Oyo-Ogbomoso road

    The Oyo State House of Assembly has urged the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN), to fix the Oyo-Ogbomoso road.

    This followed a recent accident on the road in which four people died.

    The Assembly, which considered a matter of urgent public importance raised by a member from Ogbomoso North, Wumi Oladeji, bemoaned the loss of lives from road crashes.

    Oladeji noted that the continued deterioration of the road is evident in the gaping potholes and gullies everywhere.

    Last Wednesday, four participants died in an accident while returning to Ogbomoso, after attending a workshop organised for members of the School Governing Boards (SGB), in Oyo town.

    Three of those that were  headteachers, an account officer and driver of the commercial bus.

    Six others, who were injured, were rushed to Bowen University Teaching Hospital at Ogbomoso.

    The Assembly urged Fashola to mandate the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to fix the layby and damaged portions of the road.

  • What therapy for Oyo-Ogbomoso road

    The incessant accidents on Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway are becoming more of a debate as to whether they are rituals of fate or results of road terrorism. The two historic cities at each end of the road are ruled by powerful monarchs with political prowess; The Alaafin of Oyo and The Soun of Ogbomoso. The town of Ogbomoso serves as home to one of the nation’s foremost universities, the LadokeAkintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). The road is a link between the north and southern part of the country, reflecting the economic importance of the road; these obvious advantages have, however, not shown commendable influence on the state of the road. The road has remained in a deteriorating state for years, with increasing pot-holes, unimaginable faults, recorded accidents, hence, it’s been referred to as a ‘death -trap’. The appearance and experiences on the road have made plying the route come with default trepidation and this sad culture does not seem like ceasing without supervised government effort.

    According to the Federal Road Safety Commission, Oyo State recorded the highest number of road fatalities in 2011 and the Oyo-Ogbomoso road was a major contributor to this figure. The casualties on this road have since not reduced, as it continues to claim lives of students, traders and casual travellers. The 50 kilometre-long road has constantly suffered disdain from even the federal government. The road was meant to be included in the Ibadan-Ilorin road construction project executed by the previous administration, but for some ungiven reasons it was skipped. The road construction which started from Ibadan to Oyo was continued at the other end from Ogbomoso to Ilorin. Former Minister for Works under the administration, Mr. Mike Onolememen, had promised the construction of the Oyo-Ogbomoso expressway, but the road remains in its inherited  state with no signs of construction work.

    The width of most part of the dual carriage road is now visibly short of the standard seven meters, as the road has been significantly trimmed at the sides by erosive agents over the years and it can be said that the road is close to elapsing its design period. What has become most minatory about the road is the volume of heavy-duty vehicles transporting different materials across the country. The drivers of these vehicles are usually reckless even with their knowledge of the bad condition of the road, poorly calculated overtaking, vehicle control failure, amongst others, are activities that lead to regular mishaps on the road. Other times when these vehicles are not involved in accidents, they break down and it usually takes excess time in towing them off the road. This results in traffic jams and possible attacks on road users.

    The current financial position of the Nigerian government might be offered as a plausible excuse to allow this avoidable cause. Still, something needs to be done. The road in view continues costing innocent lives, leaving others deeply bereaved. The losses incurred on this road can be significantly reduced with devoted human effort to solve the nub and not a ritual to appease the jinx of the road. A proper rehabilitation of the Oyo-Ogbomoso road should become one of the import assignments of the current administration. The death statistics of the Oyo- Ogbomoso road shows that is not another alternative forgone for the government.

  • SOS to FG on Oyo-Ogbomoso road

    SOS to FG on Oyo-Ogbomoso road

    SIR: This piece seeks to direct the attention of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to the plight of motorists plying the above mentioned section of Ibadan-Ilorin Highway. As the major road that links northern Nigeria with the South-west, the volume of traffic is too heavy for the old road and since the works has been suspended on the newly constructed expressway, the agony of both travellers on the old road is better experienced than imagined.
    Due to the number of the articulated vehicles plying the road, with the heavy loads, the road has caved in many sections. For instance, bridges at Ile Abu, Elega/Asani have become death traps where many precious souls particularly, students, traders and drivers perish daily.
    Not only that, due to the bad portions on this road, which causes traffic hold up, the journey of two hours have become six to seven hours. It is undeniable that the federal government is doing its best in maintaining our infrastructural facilities. On-going work on Lagos-Ibadan expressway is highly commendable. However whatever gain made by motorists at Lagos-Ibadan expressway is lost on Oyo-Ogbomoso section of the road. Federal government equally deserves commendation for on-going asphalt overlaying of old Ogbomoso-Ilorin road within Ogbomoso Township.
    One expects our highly revered traditional rulers in the area, our political office holders and other eminent people to cry to the president, on this menace of a road. However, it appears our leaders have abdicated their obligations to their people.
    Nevertheless, I am using this medium to call on President Jonathan to come to the aid of the people in this axis and save them from agony and untimely death by paying the construction company handling the new road project and order immediate repair of the old road as a temporary measure to avoid further carnage on this road.

    • Adewuyi Adegbite,
    Apake, Ogbomoso.

  • Oyo-Ogbomoso road deserves attention

    SIR: Incessant loss of lives at the Oyo-Ogbomoso section of the Old Ibadan- Ilorin highway with no end insight necessitated this outcry to the government to rescue innocent Nigerians from brutal death. The gory sight of mangled bodies of 18 passengers whose vehicle was involved in an auto accident at Agric Area, towards Ogbomoso in the night of Thursday, August 15, showed how brutish Nigerians lives are.

    It has come to a situation when passengers plying this road have to pray fervently before embarking on their journey. Over speeding and lackadaisical attitude of drivers of articulated lorries popularly called trailers to the plights of other vehicles on that road is a cause of the incessant carnage on this busy road. Another cause of accident on this road is the rate at which these articulated lorries break down on the road due to their age and over-loading. Once these trailers develop fault, they are usually abandoned on the road thereby causing accident because most of the oncoming vehicles would not know that abandoned vehicles are on the road until they get to that spot and collide with such abandoned vehicle. That was what caused August 15, accident mentioned above. Men of the Federal Road Safety Commission could not be blamed because they are trying their best but lack of towing vehicles is hindering their effectiveness in this wise.

    Obviously, the hope that the new expressway from Oyo to Ogbomoso may bring succour to the travellers when completed is becoming forlorn. This is because the contractors handling the road have abandoned it due to lack of fund. The way out of this situation in my own opinion is that Oyo State government under the able leadership of Senator Abiola Ajimobi has to come to the aid of the travellers on this road.

    As a matter of fact, Ajimobi is on rescue mission in Oyo State. This is what his intervention policies thus far show. Therefore, his intervention is needed in this wise. I think if he can provide towing vehicles on this road, the carnage would reduce and that would be credited to him. As a matter of fact, it would be an innovation and government could generate fund, and provide employment for some people through that exercise.

     

    • Adewuyi Adegbite

    Apake, Ogbomoso.