•As Ogun set to declare stand on Ipokia Poly
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Friday, said the federal government has approved the Ilaro-Papalanto-Sagamu expressway in support of the state efforts in infrastructure development.
Addressing the residents and people of Yewa South at Ilaro, Abiodun disclosed that the reconstruction of the 100 kilometers road would cost the government about N79bn.
He added that the road, which crosses through Obafemi-Owode, Ewekoro, Yewa South and North local government areas was a major arterial road linking the state to other states and the ECOWAS sub-region.
While assuring the people that his administration would complete the Owode-Ilaro Road before the end of the year, the governor disclosed that his administration had completed 66 projects in the Yewa South LG, in two years.
The governor, however, called on the people of the local government to come out in large number and vote the APC chairmanship candidate, Lateef Salami and other councillorship candidates during the LG poll.
Earlier in Ipokia, the governor said his administration would soon take a decision on the viability and sustainability of the establishment of the Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia, established by the immediate past administration.
Abiodun, who declared that the idea behind the establishment of the institution was a good one, disclosed that the circumstances that led to its establishment, viability and cost would be taken into consideration, while the state government was taking a stand on it.
Abiodun stated this while fielding questions from newsmen, shortly after he visited the site of the institution, situated in Oke’ebo Area of Ipokia town, as part of the election campaigns of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to Ipokia and Yewa South LGs, in preparation for the local government elections coming up on July 24.
“We have appointed a committee to review all the projects that were ongoing but not completed by the previous administration and this project was reported amongst others.
“Now that I am here and have seen, I will go back and make my decision. Government is a continuum and this administration has pledged that every commonwealth of ours that we have invested in any project, as well as that project is of socio-economic importance to our people, we will ensure its continuity”, Abiodun noted.
He pointed out that his administration met a chaotic situation, where the polytechnic was moved to Ipokia to give way to the proposed Moshood Abiola University of Technology, Abeokuta, expressing unhappiness that neither of the two institutions got accreditation to begin operations.
“When we assumed office, Ogun State Polytechnic was not in session as it was meant to be relocated to this premises and the facility meant to become the Moshood Abiola University (MAUTECH),which neither had gotten accreditation, was not operational, the same with this polytechnic. Thank God, we have been able to resolve that of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and it is up and running”, he added.
The governor said seven buildings including a proposed 750 seater hall, two proposed 300 lecture theatres, an administration building, two hostels and two classrooms were the only structures his administration met on ground at the polytechnic.
He, however, disclosed that he had earlier sent an inter-ministerial committee to inspect facilities in the institution, access the level of completion, suitability and readiness for use to enable government take an informed decision to the benefit of the people of the state.
“The facilities are still at a stage, where they can’t be used. I don’t know why anyone will close the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and move them here to Ipokia, when the site was not even ready.
“Everything is not politics, we have to think properly. When we came on board, Ogun State Polytechnic, Ipokia was not operational, MAPOLY was not operational and the Moshood Abiola University of Technology was not operational. We are happy MAPOLY is now back in session.
“I saw everything that was there; it is a polytechnic they wanted to give you, in my mind, Ipokia deserves something better than a polytechnic. I urge you to leave it to me, by the grace of God, we will complete the institution for the benefit of all the people of Ipokia and the state”, Abiodun said
The governor noted that no fewer than 54 projects had been completed in Ogun West, adding, “we have done 325 projects in two years throughout the state”.
On the Afa bridge in the council area, Abiodun pledged to complete it as promised during the governorship campaign in 2019, adding that the bridge, when completed, would boost the socio-economic development of the area.
“The bridge remains an ongoing project but requires a lot of extensive work in terms realignment of the road itself, elevation of the road surface and a lot of civil works. We realised that it was important to bring the needed succour and needed relief to the people of Ipokia.
“We have an inbound and outbound lanes that had been properly asphalted, each of the lanes are two and this has brought immediate succour and relief to the people of Ipokia in the medium term”, the governor submitted.
