The Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde on Thursday commissioned 38.48 kilometres of feeder roads in the state’s capital, Ibadan.
Mr. Makinde during the commissioning highlighted the role of feeder roads in encouraging small businesses in the state.
“As a government, our job is to do our best with the resources we have to keep residents of our dear State happy and even attract more people to come to our State. This is the way we grow our economy. But we also acknowledge that we do not have all the resources at our disposal, so we cannot meet all our needs at the same time.
“This commissioning today will be the first of many. Our administration earmarked an initial 95.58 kilometres of feeder roads for asphaltic improvements and reconstruction in December 2023 to be completed within 12 months.
“We are now in July and we are almost half way gone with over 38 kilometres completed and the remaining 57 kilometres ongoing. So, I can rightly say we are over halfway done,” he stated.
The governor recalled that he spoke about his plans and the path he wanted to follow with road construction when he assumed office in 2019. However, he noted that “many people did not understand it.”
His words: “They wanted us to start with feeder roads and then move to interconnecting more zones, but that was not the vision. Our vision was to interconnect all zones which would help us raise our Internally Generated Revenue and then plough those resources back in the development of feeder roads.
“The commissioning we are having today is a result of that well thought out strategy. We look forward to rehabilitating more roads within the State and extending this feeder roads rehabilitation to other zones of the State. You can hold me to that promise.”
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to moving Oyo residents from poverty to prosperity through road constructions, noting that “we are determined to lay the right foundations so that whoever is coming after us will build on the template we have provided.”
Governor Makinde explained that that is why his administration will keep working, stressing that “the benefits of some of the work we are doing will be immediately manifest, but others are long term. We only ask that you join us in staying with the vision.”
He added: “We have listed all feeder roads being fixed in Ibadan including the 38.48 kilometres of feeder roads that have so far been completed. Let me just say that if the road you wanted so badly to be fixed has not been done, don’t worry. As they say in Nollywood, watch out for part two.
“So, I will now proceed to commission this 38.48 kilometres first tranche of 95.58 kilometres of feeder roads in Ibadan to the glory of God and for the benefit of the good people of Oyo State.”
