The Oyo State House of Assembly has summoned the Zonal Director of the Federal Highways Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to answer to the state legislature and explain the failure to complete rehabilitation work on some Federal roads in Ogbomoso and other parts of the state.
The call, which was jointly sponsored by Hon Sanjo Adedoyin (Ogbomoso South) and Hon Bimbo Oladeji (Ogbomoso North), was made by the House at its Tuesday sitting.
The Oyo State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin spoke on the need to investigate the growing deterioration of federal roads in the state and stated how unfortunate it was that most Federal roads in the state are no longer motorable and summoned the leader of the Federal Agency to appear before the plenary on July 15.
According to the speaker, the call is intended to encourage FERMA to speed up work on ongoing road reconstruction across the state, and also to urge the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to complete the Ogbomoso part of the Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin dual-carriage Expressway.
“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,” he said.
Hon Adedoyin and Hon Oladeji spoke out against the interminable delays in the completion of the Ogbomoso part of the Expressway connecting the south and north, as well as other ongoing federal highways in the town.
Hon Adedoyin, who read the motion, stated that this has enabled articulated vehicles to use the Ipeba-Ajaawa road to connect Oja-Igbo and then to the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital road en route Ilorin.
He said it was the usual scenario since rehabilitation work on the Apake-LAUTECH Teaching Hospital route, as well as the road from Takie Square to Caretaker, is moving at a snail’s pace, and traffic has been diverted as a result.
“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 in massive destruction of the feeder roads, electrical poles, cables, and several culverts.” Hon Adedoyin said.
While speaking, Hon Bimbo Oladeji stated that the completion of all Federal highways in Ogbomoso had been long delayed and that the poor condition of the Oyo/Ogbomoso expressway had resulted in the deaths 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 also urged Governor Seyi Makinde, through the Public Works Department and the Works departments in other LG and LCDAs, to assist in the restoration of some of Ogbomosho’s feeder and access roads, which had already been damaged as a result of the diversion’s increased traffic volume.
Other lawmakers expressed their displeasure with the state or federal highways in their districts in a variety of ways.
They said that most Federal highways in the state appear to have been abandoned, and they questioned FERMA and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing’s activity in the state.
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