From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Federal Government has flayed Oyo State for the approval of illegal mining and construction on the Ibadan-Ilorin Section 2 of Oyo-Ogbomoso Road project.
Speaking during the inspection of the 56 km green field road project in Oyo State at the weekend, Director of Highway Construction and Rehabilitation of Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Funso Adebiyi, lamented that the encroachment on the right-of-way of the federal road projects in Oyo State and illegal mining activities along the new alignments has impeded the dualisation of the Ibadan-Ilorin Road section 2 Oyo-Ogbomosho Road project.
While appealing to Oyo State government to stop the illegal encroachment on the Federal Government’s right-of-way, Adebiyi also cautioned drivers on their recklessness on the road.
“We discovered that the state government was giving approval to build and mine along the same alignment of the road and this has created a huge problem for the progress of work because the earth materials we would have used has been mined away. It is not good and must be stopped,” he said.
He stated that the project was initially awarded in 2010 to Messrs RCC Nigeria Limited and was later reviewed after augmentation on November 2020 with a completion date of November, 2023.
The director disclosed that the level of completion was 76 per cent before the contract was reviewed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) which now brought the level of percentage completion to 40 per cent as a result of additional work approved by FEC.
He said that the quality of job done was of international standard, pointing out that the activities of illegal mining and building activities were undermining the progress of work on the project.
“Any such structure within the right of our way is illegal and that government would not pay any form of compensation. You cannot build on someone’s land and still expect compensation,” he explained.
In a statement, the Federal Controller of Works, Oyo State, Mr Kayode Ibrahim, said that the contractor was working massively at the bridge locations and at various stages of completion on the five bridges, adding that 21.8km of asphaltic binder has been accomplished.