Ogun spends N15.8bn on road construction in six months

The Ogun Ministry of Works and Infrastructure says it spent N15.8 billion on the rehabilitation and construction of roads across the state between January and June this year.

Mr Kayode Ademolake, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry,  disclosed this in Abeokuta on Wednesday while playing host to members of the Ogun House of Assembly  Committee on Works.

The committee members were on oversight visit to the ministry in Abeokuta.

Ademolake also stated that the ministry had spent N216 million , representing over 57 per cent of the N375 million approved in the 2019 budget for salaries, while N221 million was spent on recurrent expenditure out of the N435 million approved for that purpose in the current fiscal year.

He added that the construction of Block-E building of the State Secretariat was ongoing just as he pointed out that the computerisation of Vehicle Inspection Centres in some parts of the state had been completed.

The Permanent Secretary explained that over 1,000 shops had been constructed to replace those demolished in the course of construction of infrastructural projects in the state.

Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Abayomi Fasuwa, stressed the need for effective monitoring of all ongoing projects.

He also harped on the need to engage more indigenous engineers and experts in all construction works being carried out by the ministry.

The committee members later inspected some ongoing and completed projects in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Projects inspected include Block E part of the State Secretariat which was said to be at 60 per cent completion stage, Panseke-Adigbe road, Kuto overhead bridge and the modern shopping mall at Omida.

Other members of the committee included Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, Hon. Atinuke Bello, Hon. Sikiratu Ajibola, Hon. Bashir Abdul, Hon. Kemi Oduwole, Hon. Yusuf Adejojo, Hon. Akeem Balogun and Hon. Olakunle Sobukola.