From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo.
A member of the House of Representatives representing Oyo Federal Constituency (Afijio, Atiba, Oyo-East and Oyo-West) in Oyo State, Prince Adeniyi Obasegun Adeyemi, has called on the lower legislature to, as a matter of urgency, legislate and compel the Executive to complete all abandoned projects scattered across the country.
Moving a motion on the floor of the House, Adeniyi said top on the list is the dualisation of Ibadan/Oyo/Ogbomoso/Ilorin Highway that links the South-West with the North which is about 70 per cent completed, but was abandoned at the Oyo/Ogbomoso axis.
He said driving along Oyo/Ogbomoso road, especially passing through Owode, Idi iigba, Labamba, Jobele and Fiditi points “is now a nightmare”.
He stated that while it has been busy passing through the ever – busy high way, the spate of gory road crashes have given cause for heightened apprehension among motorists and residents.
“Many are at a loss as to why the much-publicised rehabilitation work on the road had not been completed, thus resulting in mounting rate of road carnages and fatal casualties. This is despite the consistent efforts of men of Federal Road Safety Commission at reducing accidents on the highway.’’
The federal lawmaker pointed out that the road has not only become impassable, “riding on it is like embarking on an adventure, due to big potholes which litter the highway”, adding that the narrow nature of the road does not conveniently accommodate vehicles, especially heavy duty ones like trailers and bulldozer to move in opposite directions.
“Several cars and commercial motorcycles have been smashed by trailers, either as a result of loss of control or brake failure, as passengers were often crushed to death’’.
Adeniyi, therefore, urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, order the contractor back to work, adding that if it is funding that is delaying rehabilitation work, government should have mercy on motorists plying it and pay up the contractors without further delay
The APC legislator also called for the completion of the abandoned Erelu Water Project.
According to him, completion of the project would solve acute water shortage confronting the people of the constituency, in which the Federal Government had so far spent about N1 billion.
Adeniyi argued that if the water project is not completed, it would spell doom as the people of the federal constituency volunteered themselves to keep vigil on the project to prevent vandalisation.
