Osun Govt Warns Contractors Handling Road, Hospital Projects

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

The Osun State Government on Friday warned contractor engaged for Oba Adesoji Aderemi East Bye Pass Road against unnecessary delay in the handling of the project.

Engineer Oluremi Omowaiye, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, gave the warning in Osogbo, Osun state capital , during an unscheduled visits to the ongoing road project.

Omowaiye expressed concern at the slow pace of work on the roads under construction in Osogbo and some other towns in the state

The commissioner urged the contractors to hasten work on the projects, saying they must be completed not later than March next year.

Omowaiye who said he spoke with Governor Gboyega Oyetola on phone, said he(Governor Oyetola) expressed his dissatisfaction and concern over the slow pace of the work and warned that any contractor who failed to meet up with time and work without specification with be sanctioned.

He however warned the contractors on the need to ensure they wet the roads under construction thrice in a day because of the hazards the dust could cause of the residents around the area.

Omowaiye said: “I am using this medium to sound a note of warning to all contractors handling our projects, we will not hesitate to sanction them because our electorate’s expectations are very high. For one reason or the other , the contractors are not working the way they supposed to work

“We are not satisfied with slow pace of the work. The work supposed to have gone beyond this level. We know with the challenge we have with climate change, rain might likely start by March next year by then we felt with the initial plan we have the work should have gone beyond this level.

“We have been on this project for quite long time but we expected that by now, December 27, a portion of the road from Ilesha garage to Okebale axis would have been completed and that has not been done. We will not condone any kind of slow pace of work, any contractor that is not working as planned will be sanctioned.

“We have told them and that is why they are not going on break, ordinarily by this time of the year, many contractors would have gone on break for Christmas and new year celebration. They are not going on break because we must get them to work we must have achieved the sizeable portion of road construction before the next raining season.

“We want to once again warn all contractors handling our projects including those handling the hospitals. 131 Primary Health Centres have been completed but we expect that in the next few months we must have hit the target of 250.

“The Governor spoke with me and he expressed his dissatisfaction and concern that he is not too pleased with the rate at which the work is being done.

“For them, they thought they are working but we want them to improve on their work. If they have to increase the number of their workers, they need to do that , if they have to work day and night, they need to do that because we must achieve a lot before the next raining season.

“We have mandated it for them to make sure they wet the road at least thrice in a day . I just imagine what people living around this place will be going through. We are not going to take it lightly with any contractor that’s not doing what we asked them to do.”

Speaking, Engineer Bashiru Akande, Director of Highways, Ministry of Works and Transport, also expressed displeasure at the slow pace of work and urged the contractor to brace up.

The Osogbo East Bye Pass Road aims to provide an alternative route for travellers passing through the State’s capital to their destinations. This route will provide a quick get away for people who are passing through Osogbo, but who have no business to transact within the Central Capital.