The Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, has promised to give the necessary support to Ogun State government on the reconstruction of all the deplorable federal roads in the state, especially the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta expressway.
Akpabio stated this at the grand finale of the Yewa Cultural Festival, with the theme “Celebration of Culture, Tradition, Music, Cuisine and Dance,” held at the ultra-modern pavilion, Empire Field, Ilaro-Yewa, Ogun State on Saturday.
The Senate president said he insisted on driving to the venue to have first-hand knowledge of what people go through on the road every day.
He said it took his team more than two hours to drive to Ilaro from Lagos.
Akpabio promised that the Senate would ensure that the construction of the road was handed over to a competent contractor, adding that they would work with the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun to ensure its completion.
He said: “The 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is going to get the list of things you want us to do here.
“I saw the road, two trucks fell on the road, so we ended up spending over two hours on the road. I was determined to go through the road that you go through. Now, I have seen what you have been seeing. From today, I prophesy that your roads are done.
“Yewaland has the greatest number of industries that local government can ever have in Nigeria, just five local governments. Therefore, we recognize the need to use the best set of contractors to do your roads because of the wear and tear. I assure you that we will be working with our brother, Dapo Abiodun. Your lives will not be the same again.”
Akpabio also advised youths in Yewaland and the state as a whole to stay off drugs and other fraudulent activities, assuring that their lives would be better when they stayed clean.
“For the youths of Yewaland, I will advise you, never engage in anything that will bring disrepute to your domain. Don’t do drugs, no banditry, no kidnapping, no fraud. I assure you that the blessings of God will be upon you,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, Governor Abiodun pleaded with the Senate to prevail on the federal government to transfer the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road to the state because of its importance to the socio-economic development of the state.
The governor said it took him three hours to drive from Abeokuta to Ilaro, noting that efforts made by the state to ensure the transfer of the road had not yielded any positive results.
Prince Abiodun said his administration was currently concluding discussions on the reconstruction of the Abeokuta-Olorunda-Imeko and the Abeokuta-Iborro-Ilaro roads.
He said: “I also want to announce to you that I am currently concluding discussions with the Minister of Works on the reconstruction of the Abeokuta-Olorunda-Imeko road and the completion of the Abeokuta-Iborro-Ilaro road. This will complement the Imasayi-Iborro-Ayetoro road.
“Mr Senate President, it took me three hours to get here from Abeokuta. I am sure it took you just as much to get here from Lagos because of the deplorable state of Lagos-Abeokuta Road. Mr Senate President, please help us with the Federal Government to transfer this road to us. This road is very key to our socio-economic economic development.”
