By Kingsley Adegboye

Concerned about infrastructure development particularly at grass root, the Oyo State Government has channeled the chunk of the excess crude money which the Federal government shared amongst the states in December last year, into provision of basic infrastructure and amenities in its 33 local government councils.

Specifically, each local government council was given a whopping N100 million from the oil windfall with the mandate to provide basic infrastructure and amenities at the councils according to the needs of the local residents.

The caretaker chairmen of the councils are  directly supervising the ongoing projects  in their respective domains. The projects include construction of standard  roads and drainage works, public toilets, link bridges, dredging of canals to deflood flood prone areas, renovations of old and abandoned structures and construction of intensive healthcare and skill acquisition training centres.

Newsmen who undertook a tour of some of the councils within Ibadan, the state capital and outside the state capital discovered  that construction activities are ongoing at the local government areas visited. Similarly, the beneficiaries lauded the council bosses for embarking on projects that will alleviate their sufferings.

Projects being executed at Ibadan North Local Government Area include the dredging of Agbowo canal, construction of two-box culverts and   500- metre  Road named after Retired Major Rasaki Salawu. The cost of the road project is put at N43 million. The caretaker chairman, Mr. Idris Lapade, said the road links the area to Bodija market in the heart of Ibadan.

Major  Salawu  commended  the council for simultaneously embarking upon the construction of roads and dredging projects.

“The presence of the government is being felt here for the first time. We expect the government to compensate us for the demolition in this area for the purpose of expanding the canal for proper flow of storm water during rainy season. We agreed to make sacrifices to allow our houses to be demolished as part of our own contribution to the development of the area’,’ he said.

The council boss who stated that town planning officers in the council had marked houses for demolition in the area to allow for free flow of water, said the drainage works at Yemilu/Igosun Road would cost  N31 million. Mr. Lapade also noted that the Ile-Oke link bridge is being constructed to control flood in the area, pointing out that for 50 years, nobody did anything about the bridge.

The caretaker chairman who put the cost of the 352-metre long link bridge at N28 million, added that the project which commenced in December 2011, will be completed in March this year.

The caretaker boss of Ibadan North LGA,  Mr. Wasiu Olatunbosun said the  800 metre-Tere Asikuna Road which the council has just completed was necessitated by the fact that the major road at Ayeye collapsed some time ago thereby depriving the people of the access to other parts of the sprawling ancient city of Ibadan. Mr. Olatunbosun who  described  the LGA as the commercial nerve centre of Ibadan, added that the council had to embark on the road project to allow the people in the area to link other parts of the city.

At Ibadan South East Local Government Area, Alh. Abass Bolaji Najimudeen who chairs the LGA told the visiting journalists that the Council is handling the  reconstruction of Molete Grammar School at a cost of N91 million. According to him,  the road to the popular Ibadan Grammar School had been abandoned for a very long time before the intervention by the council. He said the over one kilometre road project which commenced in December last year, will be completed in March this year.

Ibadan South West caretaker chairman, Mr. Taoreed Adeleke who said his council had embarked upon the construction of four roads  at the cost of N146 million, added that the council has equally embarked on the renovation of a secondary school in the area for N10.4 million.

Oluyole Local Government Area caretaker chairman, Prince Abass Ayodeji Aleshinloye said his council is undertaking  the construction of about 80 per cent earth roads in the local government. He explained that the council has been able to grade over 40 per cent of the roads. The council boss  said two roads have been earmarked  for construction at a cost N143 million, added that they would be completed in March.

Comrade Oyebisi, caretaker chairman of Olorunshogo Local Government Area, Igbeti who noted that  his council has embarked on a total of six roads of 2,2 kilometres for N100 million, said for 30 years,  roads in the area were neglected. He added that he had to embark on the road projects when he came in as caretaker chairman of the council.

At Atiba Local Government Area, Oyo, six roads, a six-unit public toilet and borehole have been completed. The caretaker chairman of the local government, Prince Akeem Adeniyi Adeyemi who  conducted the journalists round the projects noted that the construction works met the specification standard as specified by the state government.

The council boss who noted that for the first time in a very long time people at grass root can feel the impact of the government, said the projects will go a long way in alleviating the sufferings of the poor people in his council. He added that the public toilet  constructed at Sabo Market, will be done in phases and other borehole projects.

Renovation of Ijeru Customary Court, earth works and asphalt laying as well as drainage along roads were observed to be ongoing at Ogbomosho South Local Government Area. Comrade Adisa Olajide, caretaker chairman of the local government who put cost of all the projects at N100 million, said the projects commenced in December last year, and they will be completed in March.

At Oriire Local Government Area, Ikoyi-Ile, completed and ongoing projects include construction of three-unit block of three classrooms as Skill Acquisition Training Centre at cost N15 million, construction of block stone lined drains at Tewure/Araromi along Ogbomosho/Igbeti Road for N7 million and Intensive Healthcare Centre.