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Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, yesterday sought the transfer of roads, including Shagamu to Ikorodu, Epe to Ijebu Ode and Lagos to Ota-Abeokuta, to the state.
Briefing State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, in company with a former governor of the state, Segun Osoba, Governor Abiodun explained that the aim of seeking the transfer of the roads to the state is to commercialise them.
Abiodun said the roads will be rehabilitated, constructed and upgraded by the state, saying they have already secured the financing for the purpose.
He said easy access to the Ogun will impact positively on the economic potentials of the state and added that his administration is also seeking the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Government in its agriculture programme.
Abiodun said: “Ogun is the closest state to the biggest economy in this country. It is important that people can move between our state and Lagos as well as the hinterland.
“Today, the busiest highway in this country passes through our state. You cannot travel between Lagos and the rest of the country without passing through Ogun.
“So, we came and told the president that there are alternative routes apart from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the truth is that even if the construction is completed, that highway does not have the capability to accommodate the traffic that has now completely gone beyond what was anticipated.
“That highway cannot carry that traffic. So, we must begin to look for alternative routes, what come to mind is the Shagamu to Ikorodu road, the Epe to Ijebu-Ode road, the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road, these are alternative roads that would allow us to efficiently move people from Ogun to Lagos and the rest of the country.
“To achieve these, we need to have the right infrastructure, so we came to the president to help us through the Federal Ministry of Works to transfer these roads to us to commercialise them – they are commercial roads anyway.
“The Shagamu to Ikorodu road was the old Ibadan road, it is on that road that we have the biggest Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation depot.
There are so many factories on that road and most of these factories have gone moribund.
“Trucks drivers are also refusing to go and load on that road. If that road is transfer to both Lagos and Ogun states, we will have it rehabilitated, constructed and upgraded, then commercialise it. We have already secured the financing for this purpose.
“On the 26 of this month by the grace of God, we will be turning the sod on the Ijebu-Ode to Epe road. This is a state road, Lagos State has done it to its border, we are completing the 14 kilometres between that border and Ogun state and it will be completed in one year.
“But I believe when that road is completed, people coming from the east, Ondo, Ijebu and Ibadan will have an option, they don’t have to go to Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
“This will ease the ability to do business in Ogun State. These are one of the things we came to discuss with Mr. President. We also came to discuss with the president what we are doing in agriculture and the support we need for that,” he said.
