Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
Following the failure of work to commence on the reconstruction of the Abeokuta-Ota-Lagos Expressway, the Ogun State Government on Monday expressed concern, saying it’s waiting for the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on the road.
Recall that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced in October last year, during a briefing after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Aso Villa, that the Federal Government had finally agreed to concession all important roads to the Ogun State Government to reconstruct after several efforts made to that effect by the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration.
The reconstruction was to be carried out under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI), with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) and the Federal Ministry of Finance to be involved in the process.
But the Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, while speaking on the latest development, said that although there was a presidential approval for the concession, there was no EXTRACT from Federal Executive Council (FEC) approving the concession of the roads.
To Akinmade, the procedure for the concessioning is not complete without FEC’s EXTRACT paper.
He stated that after deliberation and approval, the FEC will issue an extract from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), transferring the road to the Ogun State Government.
Akinmade said that the Ogun State Government is waiting anxiously for the FEC’s nod to proceed with the project.
He added that the FEC Extract is needed to raise funds for the project and also discuss with investors.
Commissioner for Works, Engr. Ade Akinsanya, had earlier said the state administration had been providing palliatives to make the roughly 70km road manageable for motorists.
He said, “Ogun State has been rehabilitating the road since 2019. We keep doing palliative works because the governor is always concerned about the suffering being experienced by the people. He remains concerned about the deplorable state of the road until he got what he wanted from the federal government.
“With the transfer done now, we are happy and ready to immediately take over the project and turn around the fortunes of the road. It’s what we’ve been looking for, praying for since we came on board. We will take over immediately, subject to paperwork between us and the federal ministry.”