Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has flagged off a 5.9 hectares housing project, Ajumose GRA and 14.6km road projects, as part of his initiative to build a modern Oyo State.

Also, 1000 workers are said to have benefitted from the state government N1bn housing loan scheme.

The governor, who flagged off the expansion of 3.2 km Oke-Adu-Agodi Gate-Idi-Ape-Iso Road interchange and the dualisation of 11.4 km Agodi Gate-Alakia Adebayi Junction with spur to Alakia- Ibadan Airport Road on Tuesday as part of the activities marking his 6th anniversary, said that good road networks would encourage trade and commercial activities, easy flow of traffic and movement of people.

Governor Ajimobi said that the 5.5 hectares of land at the Ajumose GRA wouldl be sold to the people at an affordable price.

He noted that his administration had earlier entrenched a peaceful atmosphere, saying that this, peace, security and safety, was used as the bedrock of socio-economic development, which included physical and social infrastructure, in the state.

Ajimobi stated that housing infrastructures are pertinent as road networks, adding “the people of this state deserve humble shelter and good road networks. Infrastructure is the bedrock of development and in the list of infrastructural development is good road network that will encourage free flow of commerce, trade and movement of the people. With this in mind, we decided at the inception of our administration to have adequate infrastructure. We accomplished a peaceful environment and believed that the next level was to provide complementing infrastructural development. By the time we will be leaving in 2019, we would have earned the name the builder of a modern Oyo State. If nothing else, we would also be remembered as a welfarist government who takes care and touches the lives of the people of the state in the areas of health, education, social and physical infrastructure, agriculture, investment and industrialization amongst others”.

The governor, who asked for more support, appreciated people of the state especially traditional rulers, community leaders, motorists and those affected by the road reconstruction and expansion, pledging that those that have valid documents would be promptly and adequately compensated.

In his welcome address, the State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Wasiu Dauda said that the roads’ projects were products of long term and careful planning, design and consultations, stressing that the projects were conceived to reduce to the barest minimum traffic congestions and travel time within the state.

Speaking at the flag off of the Ajumose GRA, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Ajiboye Omodewu stated that over 1000 civil servants have benefitted from the housing loans scheme, noting that about N1bn has already been disbursed to the beneficiaries of the housing loan scheme.

Omodewu said that the land grabbing law was already yielding positive results, explaining that the ministry has tackled 25 cases and 20 out of the cases have been resolved amicably.

In his goodwill message, the South West Zonal Chairman of National Union of Road and Transport Workers, NURTW, Alhaji Taofeeq Oyerinde congratulated the people of Oyo State especially motorists for having a vision oriented governor, adding that the present administration is a peculiar one which has impacted positively on the people through social and physical infrastructure.