Environment

Governor of Oyo State, ‘Seyi Makinde, says that the Federal Government, the Oyo State Government and the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP) will within a week  align the differences that have stalled the completion of Onipepeye Bridge Project and other culverts along Iwo Road axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The governor, who inspected the ongoing construction at the Onipepeye end of the Expressway, alongside the Federal Controller of Works, Engineer Ibrahim Kayode and IUMFP Project Manager, Engineer Olasunkanmi  Shokeye, said that Oyo State was ready to resolve every bottleneck stalling the completion of the road.

“The Federal Government says it will complete the expressway up to Ojoo by the end of the year, that looks aggressive but this state will not be the stumbling block,” the governor said, adding that he was ready to do all that is possible to ease the burden of road users along the axis.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that he would mount required  pressure on the contractors to ensure the work is delivered soonest.

He said that the government would bring the three interests involved in the project to alignment to ease traffic.

While inspecting the Onipepeye Bridge, which is part of the nearly-completed Old Ife-Onipepeye-Airport Road project being constructed by the state government, Governor Makinde said that  his government would mount pressure on the contractors to deliver in the interest of the people of the state.

The statement further  indicates that the governor called on officials of IUMFP and the Federal Ministry of Works and Oyo State to ensure everything is done to ease traffic logjam on the Express road within the next four weeks.

He said: “If they want to finish this up to Ojoo, say before the end of the year, I think it is aggressive. I don’t want Oyo State to be the stumbling block.

“Whatever you are saying right now is behind us. Now, I need a solution and we must make a decision, and by Friday (next week), I would like to have feedback.

“We have the Oyo State government involved, the IUFMP and also the Lagos-Ibadan expressway being fixed by the Federal Government. “We saw that there is a mis-alignment among the three parties. “Now, they are going to meet on Thursday, immediately after Sallah, to align.

“So, we think they should ease the traffic on the expressway within the next four to six weeks because our people are suffering on the road.

Iyabo Adebisi

Environment

Residents, traders and motorists in Onipepeye, Ibadan have expressed appreciation to government for dredging the river in the area.

This was in fulfilment of the Oyo State Government’s promise to dredge rivers in the state to prevent flooding.

The traders expressed relief that the exercise would greatly reduce the impact of flood on the area.

It would be recalled that the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr  Debo  Ogundoyin  had urged the state government to implement concrete plans to curtail flood incidences in the state.

The Speaker had called for collaboration among the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project, Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency and the Ministry of Works and Transport in identifying hot spots of flooding.

Anthonia Akanji

Environment

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has promised to complete several ongoing flood management projects across the state within the next eighteen months to reduce challenges of flooding.

He gave the pledge during an on-the-spot assessment of communities affected by the heavy rainfall which caused flooding in some part of Ibadan, destroyed properties worth millions of naira while some were rendered homeless.

Governor Makinde explained that the state government had commenced work on proper channelization, better drainage system, construction of necessary bridges and ensuring that no structure blocks waterways in accordance with the Ibadan City Master Plan. 

Governor Makinde stressed the need for residents to imbibe necessary safety behavior by not blocking drainages with waste and building structures that disrupt free flow of water. 

According to the governor, instructions had been given to the state Ministry of Public Works to commence immediate evaluation of public properties destroyed and fix them.

The governor was accompanied by the officials of the state Ministry of Public Works, Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project, Oyo state Emergency Management Agency and visited Iwo Road, Olodo, Onipepeye, amongst other places affected by the rain.

Iyabo Adebisi