Udora Orizu in Abuja
The House of Representatives has urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to as a matter of urgency commence the rehabilitation of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha road to Iwaraja junction in Oyo State.
The House also mandated its Committees on Appropriations, Finance and Works to include the reconstruction of Iloko Ijesha to Ibadan-Ife-Illesha highway in the 2022 budget estimates.
It further mandated its Committees on Police Affairs and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to liaise with relevant security and regulatory agencies to ensure the safety of commuters on the Ibadan-Ife-Illesha federal highway and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
The resolutions were sequel to adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Lawrence Babatunde Ayeni at the plenary yesterday.
Moving the motion, Ayeni noted that on
September 25, 2019, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the sum of N109.4 billion for the construction of Ibadan-Ilesha-Ife and Kano-Katsina (Phase two) dual carriageways.
He also noted that out of the total amount approved, the sum of N79.8 billion, which covers a distance of 112 kilometres, was approved for the Ibadan-Ilesha-Ife dual carriageway.
Ayeni said the lawmakers are aware that the Minister of Works and Housing affirmed that the Ibadan-Ilesha-Ife highway is one of the busiest roads in the country in terms of traffic volume.
He also said they were aware that the high rate of road accidents on the road is a result of its dilapidated state, and the criminals on the road, especially at Iwaraja junction, have taken advantage of the deplorable state of the road to carry out their criminal activities.
Ayeni is worried that 13 months after the FEC approval, no visible construction has been carried out on the road which was awarded to Kopek Construction Company with a three-year completion period.
Similarly, the lawmakers at the plenary,
while adopting a motion sponsored by Hon. Mohammed Omar Bio, urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to make provision for construction of Kishi-Kaiama road in the 2022 budget estimates, and ensure the implementation of budgetary provisions for the construction of the road in the 2021 Appropriation Act to alleviate the suffering of the people and ensure free flow of agricultural and economic activities.
