Oyo Wants Refund Of N33bn Spent On Federal Projects

The Oyo State Government has demanded a refund from the Federal Government, of the N33 billion it expended on reconstruction and rehabilitation of federal roads within the state.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi called for the refund in Ibadan, while receiving a federal government’s delegation to the state, led by the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Suleiman Zarma.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the delegation was on a one-day working tour of federal government projects in the state.

Ajimobi, represented by Olalekan Alli, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said that the first four years of his administration was committed to road construction and rehabilitation.

He stated that a huge amount of money was expended on the projects and the money had yet to be refunded by the Federal Ministry of Works.

Ajimobi said that the funds expended on such projects should at the completion of the project be released to the states through the ministry in charge.

The governor called for speedy completion of the Lagos -Ibadan expressway under reconstruction as well as the Oyo-Ogbomosho expressway, which had claimed several lives.

He noted that some workers of the state government recently died in an accident that occurred on the road while on official duty.

“Roads in some parts of the state such as Iseyin-Okeho, Iseyin-Baasi-Ago-Are, Oyo-Iseyin and Saki Polytechnic and Saki Junction-Agric roads are all begging for urgent federal government intervention,” he said.

Ajimobi said that the state government would have embarked on the rehabilitation of the roads which he said were of economic importance to the state, but for paucity of fund.

He however called on the federal government to hand over the maintenance of all federal roads in the country to the respective state governments.

The governor reiterated his administration’s support for the ongoing national housing projects in Ogbomosho and Ibadan.

He stated that the additional land requested for by the Federal Ministry of Housing for the second phase of the housing project had been approved.

Ajimobi said that the necessary land documentation in terms of titles for both phases would be made available.

Earlier, Zarma appreciated the state government’s hospitality, saying the delegation had visited Ekiti and Osun before visiting Oyo state.

He gave the assurance that the federal government was committed to completing its road projects across the country.

Zarma said that the ongoing federal government’s projects across the country were to improve commerce and bring the nation out of recession.

(NAN)