Iseyin PDP Pays ‘Thank You’ Visit To Makinde For Awarding A Total Reconstruction Contract For Moniya-Ijaiye-Iseyin Road
The Oasis Reporters
November 9, 2019
As soon as the governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde revoked the contract for the rehabilitation of the Moniya – Ijaiye – Iseyin road and approved the total reconstruction of the 65-kilometre road linking the State capital with the ‘food basket of the State’ that would cost N9.9 billion, the area’s People’s Democratic Party, PDP, leadership mobilized themselves to pay a ‘thank you’ visit to the governor.
‘ They had suffered enough’, they seemed to have chorused, under the deplorable condition of the road which makes a journey of possibly less than 45 minutes, take over three hours, slowing down the economic activities of the people.
A statement by the Special Assistant (Print Media) Moses Alao, indicated that the road to be reconstructed connects Oke-Ogun, the food basket of the State, to the state capital.
The briefing, which was also attended by the State’s Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun told journalists that the contract awarded to KOPEK Construction Company would be at the cost of N9.9 billion.
The immediate past government of Senator Abiola Ajimobi had in February 2018, awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the road at the cost of N7 billion, out of which N2 billion was paid to the Contractor who could not deliver on the terms.
Governor Seyi Makinde, had to revoke the contract after lamenting the slow pace of work and shoddy job being done.
Afonja noted that several key components in the road project had been upgraded in other for it to be qualitative, long-lasting and fitted to serve the State better.
“Let me use this medium to announce to Oyo State indigenes that, at the Executive Council meeting, Governor Seyi Makinde approved the total reconstruction of Moniya-Ijaye-Iseyin road which is an important road that will add value to the economy of the state.
“We are all aware that the contract of this road was initially terminated by Governor Makinde, due to the inconsistency and underperformance of the other contractor that was disengaged from the past administration.
“I must say that one of the things that was captured in the approval process is that, this road will be completed in 12 months. We have selected a contractor that will be carrying out this project in the person of Messrs KOPEK and we are hoping that, by the end of the week, they will move to the site, mobilize and start their work.
“So, we look forward to getting this road completed by this time next year.”
The words were like the sound of music to the PDP leaders who, against all odds campaigned vigorously to convince the people to dump then ruling All Progressive Congress, APC party and vote for the then opposition party, the PDP at March 2019 gubernatorial election which the PDP won.
“Now we have something positive to show to our people for believing in the PDP, despite the sachets of Garri and kulikuli dangled before them by the then Ajimobi led APC administration that could not even pay salaries”, according to an aide of the Chairman, PDP Iseyin local government, Alhaji Azeez Akodudu who spoke on the sidelines to our correspondent.
Furthermore, the Government of Oyo State has clarified how it arrived at the new cost of the all-important Moniya-Ijaiye-Iseyin road, which links the food basket of the state, Oke-Ogun.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the State’s Commissioner for Infrastructure, Works and Transport, Prof Raphael Afonja, as stating that the new contract was a clear departure from the rehabilitation contract given out at the cost of N7 billion by the administration of the immediate past Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
The statement indicated that the total reconstruction of the 65-kilometre Moniya-Ijaiye-Iseyin Road was arrived at taking into consideration the extensive reviews of the components and the desire to construct a road that would withstand the test of the huge traffic on the road.
Afonja said that the cost of the new road, which is expected to be completed in 12 to 14 months, stands at N9.9 billion.
He stated that the road belongs to Oyo State and that it links the state capital with the food basket of the state, which also serves as the solid mineral belt of the state.
“The contract to be executed by KOPEK Construction Company should be of high quality, being the road linking the food basket of the state,” the statement read.
He added that some of the components of the road reviewed by the state executive council and which informed the increment in cost include the design of the project, price fluctuation, asphaltic wearing cost and adequate drainage system.
The statement quoted the Commissioner as saying: “Let me say this quickly, Moniya-Iseyin road is not a federal road but a state road. Oyo-Iseyin is the federal road. In terms of the amount, it is actually N9,929,702,66, which is approximately N9.9bn. The question that may arise is the initial award that was approximately N7bn.
“However, we have reviewed the design to make sure that the road that will be constructed for this important food basket of the state has high quality.
“We have made some changes including the design. We increased the stone base core from 150mm to about 200mm. We also changed the asphaltic wearing cost from 40mm to 50mm. We also realised there was inadequate provision for drainage system along that road in the initial design but we have changed that to provide adequate drainage system.
“Also, we considered the fluctuation basically in terms of pricing of materials, bitumen for example. That was also factored into the new pricing. Another thing is, the road will last for, at least, a minimum of 10 years.”
The statement further indicated that the immediate past government of Senator Abiola Ajimobi had, in February 2018, awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the road at the cost of N7 billion, out of which N2 billion was paid to the Contractor who could not deliver on the terms.
The contract has since been revoked by the state government which has asked the contractor to refund the bogus payment.
