Ado-Ekiti - Ilawe Road
When Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi promised to turn the whole of the state into a huge construction site this year not a few would have imagined what the governor meant by that statement. But four months into the year the reality of the statement is beginning to dawn on many with the ongoing construction works in different parts of the state, particularly, Ado-Ekiti.
To actualize his promise to the people, the governor rolled out 13 road projects for reconstruction across the state. These are 9km Omisanjana-132Kva-Deeper Life Church road ; Fajuyi-Trade Fair road; 1.8km Ijigbo-Isato-Ile Abiye road; 24km Igede-Awo-Ayetoro road; 0.8km dualisation of Old Garage-Ojumose road; 0.9km dualisation of Atikankan-Nitel-Baptist road; 17km Ilawe-Igbaraodo-Ibuji road; and 23km Ikole-Ijesa Isu-Iluomoba road.
The rest are 3.6km Ijigbo-Baptist College road; 4.9km Ojumose-Basiri road; 1.6km Fajuyi-University Teaching Hospital; Ado-Ikere dual carriage way; and 43km Oye-Ikun-Otun road.
These roads added to other awarded by the Fayemi administration shortly after assuming power and are nearing completion are the
Ado-Ilawe road; Ado-Afao road have turned the state to a huge construction site as promised by the governor.
Besides, the roads awarded by the governor there are other road projects inherited by the governor. They are Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki dual carriage road; Ewu bridge; Oye-Ire; Aramoko-Ijero-Ido; Ikole-Ara-Isinbode; Odo Owa-Oke Ila; Olokuta-Ilora; Ilemeso-Omu; Ido Ile-Okemesi Junction; Otun-Osan-Ora; and Erimope-Odo Owa road.
Beyond the road projects, in fulfillment of his promise, the governor has awarded contracts for the installation of streets light for
Ado-Ekiti, the state capital while the urban beautification programme for which the governor has been vilified by the opposition is gradually given the state capital a new look.
Efforts to award contract for the construction of the ultra modern market are at higher stage. The state government has built new market stalls at the Agric Olope area of the state capital to accommodate displaced market men and women.
For the road projects, it is a thing of joy that construction work has begun virtually in all the projects. For instance in Ado-Ekiti,
the contractor, Messrs Hartland Nig. Ltd., has started work on the Fajuyi-Teaching Hospital road. The road which has some failed portions including potholes is now being rehabilitated with the reconstruction of drainages to drain the perennial flood on the road.
The road divider has been removed and replaced with another with the sole purpose of increasing the width of the road. Though, road users are presently facing hard times going through the road, it is expected that at the end of the day, the people will have cause to thank the Governor for his vision of replacing the hitherto poor road with an asphalt overlaid and beautifully marked road.
The site engineer, Mr Basil Ikeagwu said work on the road is not rehabilitation as being claimed in some quarter. He said the entire job is involved redesigning of the whole project which include excavation of the original earth work and replacing them with stone base to make the road enduring.
Speaking on the road project, a bread seller, Mrs Bola Adeyinka said though they are facing tough times now because of the dust on the
road, they are positive that after the completion of the project, “we have something to celebrate and to show the world that our Governor is working”
Another road in the state capital receiving attention is the Ojumose-Police Headquarters. The project being handled by the same contractor has taken off with the removal of the divider and the expansion of the width. The drainages will also be worked upon with new asphalt overlay. Ikeagwu said the similar job being executed on Fajuyi-Teaching Hospital road will be executed on this road
Another road project which is ongoing in Ado-Ekiti is the Ijigbo-Ilawe road. The project which is nearing completion also involved the removal of the existing earth and its replacement with stone base to make more enduring.
Ado-Ikere road project which was the last to be awarded has equally taken off with the contractor mobilizing to site. The road which is a dual carriage way has developed so many potholes and with a large portion failed. The road which has become motorists’ nightmare was constructed during the Fayose administration. But not long after completion, many portion of the road had failed with successive administration failing to address the problem.
Many motorists who ply the road daily have continued to laud the governor for rising to the challenge posed by the poor condition of the road. For instance, a commercial driver Daniel Kolawole said the award of the contract has demonstrated that a listening governor is in power in the state.
The rehabilitation of the 1.8km Ijigbo-Isato-Ile Abiye road has been completed while steady work continues on Ijigbo-Baptist College and Omisanjana-132kva-Deeper Life Church-Ikere road projects, all in Ado-Ekiti.
Besides, the dualisation of Old Garage-Ojumose and First Baptist Church-Atikankan is about taking off. The two major projects had been
delayed by the inability of the state government to pay compensation to owners of properties that will give way to the two road projects.
Last week, the Governor presented cheques to property owners during a total sum of N178million were paid as compensations. The owners of the properties have been given 21 days to remove their structures to avoid government bulldozers from pulling them down.
The affected individuals who were full of praises to the Governor for his kind gesture promised to cooperate with him in the realization
of his lofty programmes for the transformation of the state.
Apart from the road projects in Ado-Ekiti, other road projects had taken off in different parts of the state. The Ado-Afao and Ado-Ilawe road projects are nearing completion. In, fact they are due for commissioning soon.
Also, Igede-Awo-Ido, Ijan-Ise, Ijero-Ipoti-Ayetoro and other major road projects awarded by the Fayemi administration and being handled by various contractors have been given up till December this year to deliver as the state government frowned at late delivery of all its major projects.
Apart from other road project, the governor is constructing an ultra modern market to replace the existing one. Prior to the construction of the market, the government has erected some locked up shops at Agric Olope area of the state capital to accommodate market women and men that would be evacuated from the Oja Oba market.
Beyond this, is the issue of payment of compensations to those whose properties may be pulled down to give way for the start of work on the ultra modern market. Special adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Mr Kayode Jegede said the government is still sorting out the payment of compensation to those who will lose their structures for the new market.
He hoped that work will start in June when bulldozers will move into the market for the pulling down of existing structures adding that
the Governor is serious at ensuring that its dream of a new state capital emerged at the end of his four year tenure.
The governor has also awarded contract for the installation of street lights in all the major roads in Ado-Ekiti. The contract which was recently awarded will see to the replacement of the existing solar powered street light erected by the immediate past administration. Before now, the solar powered street lights had been a failure as the state capital is always in darkness at night to the poor work done on the street light.
The take off of the project is still being delayed by the reconstruction work carried out on the major roads in Ado-Ekiti. As the
projects are gradually coming on stream and the government Project Monitoring Committee headed by Mr Ranti Adebisi doing their job, the transformation agenda of the government may not be a mirage at the end.
Sayo is Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Media
Last modified: May 4, 2012