…says low-cost housing estates underway in Ondo
In this exclusive interview with Fisayo Akinduro, the Commissioner for Infrastructure, Lands and Housing, Engr Abiola Olawoye, speaks on road projects embarked upon in the past year, housing estates and other infrastructural developments across Ondo State.Excerpts:
Several major roads across Ondo State were approved for construction and have been kicked off. Can you give an update on the progress of these projects and when residents should expect their completion?
Thank you very much. Let me first appreciate the Governor of Ondo State for his unwavering commitment to infrastructural development in our dear state. On the dual carriageway from Akure to Idanre, which spans about 10 kilometres, the contract was awarded some months ago. So far, the contractor has completed almost seven kilometres of hydraulic structures and has commenced work on the walkway. The duration for the project is 24 months. It was awarded about seven months ago, and the contractor has progressed to chainage 7+000. In specific terms, when we say seven kilometres of hydraulic structures, we are referring to 7,000 linear metres. On both sides of the road, this translates to 14,000 linear metres of hydraulic structures completed so far.
Work has also commenced on the walkway from chainage 10+000 down to chainage 0+000. The decision to begin from that end was informed by the need to demolish existing buildings along the alignment. There are obstructions along the road corridor, as the area is already built up and properties cannot be demolished without following due process and paying compensation. While that is being addressed, work has commenced from chainage 10+000, where there are no obstructions or existing structures. By God’s grace, the Executive Governor of Ondo State has approved a specific sum for the payment of compensation to owners of properties obstructing the road corridor. The contractors are working day and night and have recorded significant progress along the corridor. The project has a completion timeline of 24 months. So far, only seven months have been utilised, and the contractors are not behind schedule. In fact, they are ahead of the programme of works earlier submitted to the Ministry of Infrastructure.
The contract for the construction of the Akungba–Ikare Road, a 6.7-kilometre dual carriageway, was also awarded around the same time as the Oke Aro project. While 10 kilometres of road was awarded with a 24-month completion period, the 6.7-kilometre project was equally given 24 months, as the scope of works and the terrains are different. In Akungba, we intend to reduce certain elevations and eliminate some curves. We aim to straighten the alignment in order to reduce accidents. The project will involve excavation to a depth of about 80 metres through rock. In Oke Aro, we do not face such challenges, as the terrain is relatively flat. However, this is an iconic project. That is why it has been critically examined. From an engineering standpoint, the duration of the project is 24 months. As of the time of speaking, the contractor had commenced work from chainage 6.7km to chainage 0.0km. The reason is similar to the situation in Oke Aro. That chainage is an unbuilt area, allowing work to commence there while enumeration of properties within the road corridor is ongoing, in order to compensate affected residents before demolition. The contractors are currently working on a hydraulic structure.
It is believed that about 3,000 linear metres have been completed on both sides, amounting to approximately 6,000 linear metres of hydraulic structure. The structure is not shallow; it is a deep structure measuring 600 x 600 millimetres, with a thickness of 150 millimetres. Work is ongoing on that section. A visit to the site would reveal the scale of activity taking place. The contractors are cutting through the section, blasting and excavating rock, and carrying out extensive concrete works, including the construction of culverts. There are three types of cross culverts along the corridor: single-cell, double-cell and triple-cell culverts. The contractors are working and are not behind schedule; rather, they are ahead of their programme of works. In addition, the construction of the Okitipupa–Igbehin Junction, from Okitipupa to Igbokoda, has been awarded. The Okitipupa–Igbokoda road is a dual carriageway, as earlier stated.
It must also be emphasised that this government is not in office to deceive the people of Ondo State but to serve them better. This is a large and significant project that cannot be completed within one year in office. If the intention were to deceive the people of Ondo State, a road project of less than two kilometres would have been awarded, a ribbon mounted at the end of the year, cut with fanfare and applause received, without the public realising they were being misled. But that is not the case. That is why the Ondo State Government, under Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has embarked on massive projects across the state — projects that cannot be completed within one year. The people of Ondo State will not be deceived. The Okitipupa–Igbokoda project alone spans about 24 kilometres as a dual carriageway. It is a substantial undertaking and cannot possibly be completed within a year. The Oke Aro project covers 10 kilometres and similarly cannot be completed within a year, being a dual carriageway with full road furnishings. In Akungba, the project cannot be completed within a year either, and it is an iconic undertaking. This government is not here to deceive the good people of Ondo State, and it will never do so.
If the intention were to deceive, the governor could have awarded just one or two kilometres of road. By now, it would have been completed, a ribbon mounted, and cut, with applause from the public. But that is not the case. This administration is committed to serving the people of Ondo State better than before. The Okitipupa–Igbokoda project covers about 24 kilometres, from Igbehin Junction to Ilaje. Work began around five months ago. The project was awarded and commissioned by the Executive Governor of Ondo State, and the contractor is currently undertaking earthworks and clearing. The corridor is being cleared, and some hydraulic structures are already underway. Concrete works have also commenced.
It should be noted that road construction must follow proper procedure. There are existing electrical poles along the corridor because it is currently a single carriageway, which is intended to be expanded into a dual carriageway. Some of the planned alignments affect the location of these poles. The poles must be relocated to achieve a proper road profile. Some are high-tension lines, others low-tension. The high-tension lines are controlled from Osogbo, not Akure. Before work can proceed, approval must be obtained from Osogbo to switch off power and allow the poles to be relocated. Out of seven days requested, only two days were approved. Coordination is critical.
While the poles are being relocated, the cables remain in place. Within the two approved days, work must be completed quickly, as power is restored on the third day. The contractor is working day and night and remains ahead of the programme of work submitted to the ministry. The project is ongoing. In addition, the government has awarded the construction of the Omotosho–Iju-Odo Road. At Iju-Odo, there was virtually no road, and the existing stretch was in a very poor condition. The Omotosho–Iju-Odo Road serves as a key bypass for travellers coming from Lagos to Okitipupa.
Those heading to Igbokoda can branch off at Omotosho and link to Iju-Odo. The road is about 21.2 kilometres long. It is a single carriageway. Our late governor, Olusegun Kokumo Agagu, hailed from Iju-Odo, and the road was in a deplorable state. The Executive Governor of Ondo State took it upon himself to award the project. The contractor is presently on site. They have commenced concrete works, begun the earthworks and started constructing box culverts at different locations. The contractor is working and is not behind schedule. They are on site. If you visit, you will see them at work. I do not wish to take much of your time; if I continue, it may become tedious. We also awarded the construction of the Akure–Imafo Road, which is a single carriageway. Standard practice is to provide a width of 7.3 metres for a single carriageway.
However, in Ondo State, we provide an average width of 10.3 metres for a single carriageway. For a dual carriageway, the overall width is 28 metres, covering both sides. The Akure–Imafo project is six kilometres long, with an average width of 10.3 metres. Even after the award, the contractor commenced clearing, he has been working on the earthworks and has made significant progress. He is working extensively and I am confident that, out of the six kilometres, the contractor has completed about 4.8 kilometres of hydraulic structures along the road.
There are also some spurs within that project, from the NEPA Roundabout, referred to as the upgrading of critical intersections. That is what has been done at the NEPA Roundabout, ShopRite Roundabout, and First Bank Roundabout, the upgrading of critical intersections. Since these works were carried out, some people, including Okada riders and other road users, have said that last Christmas was the only Christmas when nobody lost their life at that location. Lives were previously lost there because of the bottleneck at that point.
We must give thanks to the Governor of Ondo State for his unwavering commitment to the development of the state. From NEPA Roundabout to ShopRite Roundabout to SIB, the project was awarded because those roads had already failed. From First Bank Roundabout to GTB Roundabout and to Government House, the road has been overlaid. Some people have asked why another surface is being placed on the road. There are two layers of pavement: the binder course and the wearing course.
The binder course is coarse — meaning stony and If exposed to the weather, it will cause failure in some sections. These roads were constructed over two decades ago, and the wearing course has peeled away and worn out. That is why we have had to maintain these roads every year. We patch them one year and patch them again the following year. We began spending money unnecessarily to maintain that road corridor because the wearing course had disappeared, leaving the binder exposed to the weather. That is why we decided to replace the wearing course to make the road safe and cost-effective. We also have a spur at Dajuma. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the people of that area, the Dajuma community. On the day the project was awarded, the governor of Ondo State also approved the construction of the Dajuma Road, which connects to Isinkan.
From there, we moved to the construction of the Akure–Ijare Road and the Spoil–Ikota Road. The Akure–Ijare Road is approximately six kilometres, while the Spoil–Ikota Road is about 2.5 kilometres. The total length in that area is roughly nine kilometres, or 8.8 kilometres, with an average width of 10.3 metres. The contractor has commenced work. He is handling the hydraulic structures and concrete components, as well as the earthworks. I held a meeting with the contractor and instructed that work on the concrete and hydraulic structures proceed simultaneously with the earthworks due to the rainy season. If we focus only on the hydraulic structures and concrete without advancing the earthworks, the rains will soon disrupt progress.
According to the weather forecast, the rains were expected to begin in February, and they have already started. That is why our contractors are working on both the concrete works and the earthworks. He is not behind schedule. In fact, the contractor is ahead of the programme of works he submitted to the ministry. We also have overlays across the 18 local government areas—60 kilometres of rehabilitation divided into three segments: 20 ykilometres in the South, 20 kilometres in the Central, and 20 kilometres in the North. In the South, significant work has been carried out, including at Igbotako. The contractor is currently working on the 20-kilometre rehabilitation of roads in Igbotako. Substantial progress has been made, and we are confident that we will commission Igbotako within the first year in office, along with several other projects. We have worked on Igbotako, on NDDC and on Omonira in the Southern Senatorial District. In the Central District, work has been carried out on UBA, Oke-Arata, Oja Oshodi and Gbangbalogun, among others. Work has been extensive this year, and we continue to progress.
At Iwaro-Oka, work has also been undertaken, and the contractor is on site. It is possible that we will commission that project within the first year in office. Iwaro- Oka is six kilometres long. That is why I emphasise that we are not here to deceive the people. We will not commission just two kilometres of a road. Ajegunle to Iwaro-Oka spans six kilometres, with an average width of 10.3 metres. That is what we will commission. We are here to serve the people of Ondo State, and we will continue to do so. There are many other projects I may not have mentioned. Even some inherited projects have progressed. Oda Road has been completed. At Ijoka, the contractor has resumed work, and the contractor has also resumed work on the flyover. By God’s grace, we may commission that project, as we have instructed the contractor to work day and night to ensure it is completed within the first year in office. At Alagbaka Extension 2, behind SIB, asphalt has been laid. That work has been completed.
Is it possible for Ijoka Road to be completed before the one-year anniversary?
No, Ijoka Road cannot be completed by then because construction follows due process. After laying the stone base, it must be properly compacted. If it is not properly compacted, the vacuum, a temporary void will not escape immediately. Over time, it will. Let me also address what we analyse as vacuum, as some may not understand. Imagine you are digging a foundation to build a house. After excavating, you lay the concrete footing, which is the standard concrete placed after excavation. While your bricklayer is working on the foundation footing, he may suddenly discover that the footing, which should be 225 millimetres thick; that is nine inches, is extending to 300 millimetres or even 450 millimetres. That is excessive. He may then decide to fill the surface with sand to reduce the thickness. However, what he has filled contains a vacuum because it has not been properly compacted. By the time the vacuum escapes, cracks will begin to appear on your wall. That is why we must avoid vacuum. The contractor must compact the stone base thoroughly before laying any surface, binder or wearing course on it. That is why our roads will have a very long lifespan.
Sir, on some existing roads that have been rehabilitated, some residents are complaining about the narrow gutters, which, in their view, are causing flooding. Are there any plans by your ministry to expand those waterways to prevent flooding?
I believe the good people of Ondo State have also contributed to flooding in some areas. They must stop dumping refuse in hydraulic structures. They should keep them clean. That is why we observe Environmental Day. Let everybody come out and desilt these hydraulic structures. Some hydraulic structures are silted up and need to be desilted to allow water to flow properly. If water does not flow as it should, it will overflow. A few days ago, during rainfall, while I was driving, I observed hydraulic dumping. Hydraulic dumping occurs when a hydraulic structure is silted up and the water rises to the surface. Therefore, the good people of Ondo State should inculcate the habit of desilting. It will help us greatly. Thank you.
With the recent upgrades in street lighting and traffic management, how is the ministry monitoring these facilities to ensure they remain operational and serve the people of Ondo State?
After installing the traffic control system, we began work on artificial intelligence cameras, having observed that many people in Ondo State disregard traffic signals. When the signal turns red, it means stop. Everyone knows that red signifies danger. Even in our homes, dangerous items or situations are marked in red. When the traffic lights show red, they instruct motorists to stop and not proceed. Yet, some people in Ondo State continue to violate the signal.
We are now configuring cameras to operate at these traffic lights and intersections. Whenever a motorist beats a red light, the camera will capture the vehicle’s number plate and transmit it to ODIRS. A message will then be sent to the offender, informing them that they have violated traffic regulations.
Lastly, Sir, looking ahead, what are the ministry’s flagship initiatives for the next phase of Governor Aiyedatiwa-led administration, that will significantly transform the state’s infrastructure and housing landscape?
Our administration is not focused solely on road construction. We also have plans for low-cost housing estates in Ondo State. However, we are facing some challenges with land acquisition, as government acquisition requires adherence to specific procedures. We cannot simply move in and take over land without engaging the communities involved. There must be dialogue. There must be proper documentation. There must also be adequate compensation where necessary. These are processes that must be respected.
We are presently advancing the land acquisition processes. Discussions are ongoing with relevant stakeholders and host communities to ensure everything is done in accordance with the law. Beyond housing, we are exploring other infrastructural developments that will positively impact the lives of our people. Infrastructure is not limited to roads alone; it extends to housing, public buildings and other essential facilities that support economic growth and improve the standard of living.
By the grace of God, within the next two years, the good people of Ondo State will witness a transformation that will reposition the state in terms of infrastructure and urban development. We remain committed to serving the people diligently, responsibly, and transparently.