Abiodun reconstructs damaged bridge, vows to resist Tongeji Island encroachment

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has ordered  immediate closure of the Adigbe-Opako road In the Obafemi Owode Local Government area of the state, so as to hasten the total reconstruction of the collapsed bridge along the road.

Abiodun who made this statement  while inspecting the bridge that had collapsed some few weeks ago, due to the large volume of water passing underneath the bridge, said he was perturbed when he received the news of the current state of the bridge and the havoc the recent rain that fell had done to residents of the area.

” You will have to be patient with us,we will have to close this road, because we don’t want any bad thing to happen to you, we will now begin work here and do it very well, what happened yesterday must not happen again, we have to be patient when doing the work, so don’t be annoyed about the stress you will all pass through when the road is closed.

” I have pleaded with the community to allow us close that road, we are going to close that road immediately to enable us employ a more aggressive solution to ensure we permanently address flooding in the area” he said.

He made public  that his visit with the team of engineers and permanent secretary, Ministry of Works had availed him with first hand information about the need  to change the ring culvert carrying water, as the culvert was too small for the task, adding that the small culvert had made it so easy for water to Leave its banks, affecting residents of the area, calling for patience from the people.

Dapo informed the affected residents that he would send the emergency relief team to come and meet them on Monday with relief materials, adding that  discussions with the team of engineers on how best to go about finding a lasting solution to the road would also commence on Monday.

In his remarks, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Kayode Ademolake said that work on the Adigbe, Opako road would commence immediately and that the governor would be reviewing the modalities and the engineering approach to the problem.

On the alternative for road users plying the Adigbe-Opako road, Ademolake said that government would look at alternative routes and speed up construction activities so as to minimize the suffering of the people.

Adeifa Sogbehinde and Bose Omikunle thanked the governor for coming to sympathize with them, saying that the government should fast track the process of alleviating their suffering on the road.

In the same vein, Prince Dapo Abiodun has also directed the permanent secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Kayode Ademolake to engage the Federal Controller, Federal Ministry of Works, in charge of Ogun  State and Julius Berger, the contractor in charge of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway to do some remedial work on the road to give the people relief.

He made the call at Itori while on inspection tour to the Yewa axis of the state for on-the-spot assessment of the infrastructural decay ravaging the area.

Prince Dapo noted that he would ensure that the road is made  motorable for the people, adding that the road which was a federal road would be looked into in conjunction with relevant stakeholders in the corridor.

” I have asked the Permanent Secretary to call me the federal controller of works and Julius Berger, that is in charge of that road. I am going to ensure that they immediately do some remedial work on that road and make that road  motorable

” In terms of PPP, I will take that up with relevant stakeholders in that corridor, so that we can make sure we get a more responsible level of cooperation from them, you cannot be a stakeholder, enjoy all the benefits of what we have in terms of mineral resources and then your trucks are responsible for damaging our roads, you have to be more responsible, so, we will ensure that we demand that from them,” he added.

We won’t allow Benin Republic take over Tongeji Island

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has reveal that his administration would not allow the Tongeji Island, an island that shares boundary with the Republic of Benin to be taken away by Nigeria’s neighbouring country.

He stated this  when he received the Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Ambassador Emmanuel Kayode Oguntuase and the Flag Officer Commanding Western Region(FOC), Rear Admiral Oladele Daji.

 According to his Chief Press Secretary, kunle Somorin, the governor  has expressed the determination of his administration to do all in its power to make life meaningful for the citizens of the state living within the Island.

He added  that the Island which had been on his administration’s radar because of its huge deposit of petroleum resources, was of huge interest to his administration.

Dapo said the visit of the Ambassador would only make his administration to act even quicker and ensure that the Republic of Benin that shares boundary with the state does not take advantage of the Island located in the Ipokia Local Government area of the state, adding  that his administration would immediately set up a team to visit the Island on a fact finding mission on what can  be done to assure the people of the area that they have not been  forgotten.

He emphasized that he informed the Federal Ministry of Petroleum that the Island was of huge interest to the state government, adding that his government had also began discussions with investors on the way forward.

” It is a place where we do have valuable reserve and I have mentioned to the Federal Ministry of Petroleum that the Tongeji Island and Ogun Waterside are areas of interest to the state government and we have began discussions with others to explore partnership agreements under a Public Private Partnership to see what we can do in terms of prospecting the opportunities that lay beneath the soil in Tongeji Island and Ogun Waterside,” he said.

He stressed that his administration would fast-track the process  to see other services that could be rendered to the people of the area and promised that he would take the issue up with the National Borders Commission.

The governor said he would also engage the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission(DAWN) and involve Lagos and Oyo State governors that also share border towns with the Republic of Benin.

 Dapo while thanking the Flag Officer Commanding of the Western Region, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji for ensuring that the water ways are free and devoid of anarchy, urged the FOC not to hesitate to bring to his notice issues that are germane to the security of the region.

In his word,the Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, Ambassador Emmanuel Kayode Oguntuase disclosed that his visit to the State governor is to intimate him on happenings in the area as the closet to the Island, adding that it is important to let the over 1000 inhabitants of the Island  feel governments presence, as the Republic of Benin is presently trying hard to lure the people and take over the Island because of the huge petroleum resources embedded beneath the ground.

The Ambassador  and the Flag Officer Commanding had with them the Consular Officer, Mrs. Olubunmi Olanusi, Commandant, Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Abeokuta, Commandant  Dauda and the  Deputy Defence Attache, Commandant Tony Bassey.

……..wins again in court

In another development,  Governor Abiodun has, again, won another case brought against him at the election tribunal seeking to nullify the March 9 governorship election. 

 According to Barrister Habeeb Ajayi, counsel to Abiodun, the case with No EPT/OG/ GOV/03/2019  filed by Mrs.Modupe Sanyaolu of the Labour Party against Abiodun of the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission, has being struck out on the basis that the petition lacks jurisdiction to reverse itself by re-listing the petition.

The counsel also disclosed that the Justice Halilu led tribunal dismissed the case pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 46(3) of the Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended. 

He noted that the case was also dismissed on the ground that the petitioner failed to attend the hearing of the Petition.