The Ogun State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite has clarified that the State Government had not gotten any financial assistance from the World Bank or any international donor agency to finance any of the road project embarked upon by the State Government.
Arc. Adegbite who made this clarification today in Abeokuta while fielding questions from newsmen at a ministerial press briefing, pointed out that the grant which the State had received from the World Bank were meant to provide other facilities and not roads, saying that the passion of the State Government to create a conducive living condition for residents was responsible for the massive road construction and rehabilitation regardless of the tier of government responsible.
“We have not got any money from the World Bank to build roads, they are supporting other government programmes especially Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) projects, there is no World Bank assisted fund for roads in Ogun. For us, road construction is a social responsibility of government, that is why we don’t discriminate about which tier is responsible, we believe in making all roads motorable” Adegbite stated. Answering a question on the allegation that government was concentrating road construction in the urban areas, the Commissioner said nothing could be further from the truth, as the longest road project being embarked upon by government is in the rural area of the State.
“The 110 km Ilara-Ijoun Eggua road which cuts through four local government areas, Ipokia, Imeko, Yewa North and Yewa South cannot be said to be urban road” the Commissioner remarked.
He also disclosed that about 400Km of rural roads across the state jointly funded by the State and Local Governments had been graded, adding that the State Government had also started the construction of a 29Km Mowe-Ofada Road as part of its efforts towards opening up rural roads and communities.
He explained that apart from the Ogun Standard roads, government was also constructing ring roads in different parts of the State to link roads, reduce traffic hold ups and ease vehicular movements.
Via: Ogun State Government - Official Press Release
Then the financial assistance should come on time so things can improve in that state. Money would solve some problems there.