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Lawmakers in the Ogun State House of Assembly have stressed the need for the streamlining of budget heads of the State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure so as to shelve the responsibility of road rehabilitation and maintenance to the State Public Works Agency to promote efficiency and effectiveness.
The honourable members including the Deputy Minority Leader, Abdul Bashir Oladunjoye, Deputy Speaker, Dare Kadiri, as well as Honourables Abayomi Fasuwa, Tinuke Bello, Ganiyu Oyedeji and Kunle Sobunkanla made the call while examining the 2021 budget proposals of the Ministry and Agency at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
They stressed the need to move the budget head for road maintenance and rehabilitation from the Ministry to the State Public Works Agency to promote efficiency and effectiveness.
The lawmakers also called for even and fair distribution of road projects across the 26 State Constituencies of the State to allow democratic dividend reach the nooks and crannies of the State, charging the Ministry to step up measures towards ensuring the effective monitoring of contractors handling all roads to ensure compliance to quality control to ensure durability and value for money.
In his remarks, the Commissioner, Engr. Ade Adesanya said out of the total budget size of N40.81bn, a sum of N36.3bn was set aside for road construction and the remaining N4bn for rehabilitation across the three senatorial districts.
Adesanya explained that plans had already been concluded for the immediate commencement of construction works on the Atan-Agbara industrial 19.2km road, Ilishan-Ago-Iwoye, Ofada-Owode, Ikangba-Lagos Garage, Sango-Akute roads amongst others.
Giving breakdown of the proposed roads on Senatorial District basis, the Commissioner listed Akute-Denro Road with bridge and concrete lining canals, Lambe Junction-Matogun Junction, Matogun-Oke Aro, Oke-Aro Junction-Oke Aro all in Ifo, Lafenwa-Rounda-Ayetoro in Abeokuta North, with Journalists' Estate Road, Arepo, Ofada-Mowe, Adesan Road, Mowe in Obafemi Owode LGA and Olokuta/Laderin/Abule Ori, Adatan Junction to Gbonagun in Abeokuta South/Obafemi Owode.
Others in Ogun East District included Molusi College Road, Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu Ode-Epe/Sagamu-Benin Interchange, Molipa Expressway, Ijebu-Ode, Ago-Ilara-Ilishan Remo Road, Orile Oko Road, Sagamu-Iperu-Isara-Sapade Road, Sagamu-Iperu Road and Iperu junction-Ode Junction amongst others.
The Commissioner outlined the remaining in Ogun West Senatorial District to be Old Wema Bank-Old Local Government Road in Ayetoro, Government Road, Ayetoro, Ibeku-Agbon-Asa (grading), Imashai-Igan Okoto road all in Yewa North Local Government Area, with Ilaro-Owode Road in Yewa South, Ayetoro-Itele-Ayobo road that cut across Ado-Odo/Ota and Ifo Local Government, as well ad Imeko Iwoye Road, Afon loop, Imeko township in Imeko-Afon Local Government Areas.
Giving further breakdown of the total budget size, the Commissioner said N355.5m was earmarked for recurrent expenditures with a revenue projection of N90.9m for next year.
The lawmakers also considered the 2021 budget proposal of the State Public Works Agency as presented by the General Manager, Gbenga Akintola, with a challenge to the agency to ensure even spread of roads to be rehabilitated in the next fiscal year.
According to the lawmakers, it had become expedient for both the State Ministry of Works and Public Works Agency to have a clear demarcation of their responsibilities in relation to road construction and rehabilitation to further deliver on the mandate of the current administration in the State.
Akintola presented a total budget size of N1.18bn, out of which N1.03bn was earmarked for capital projects and N155.6m for recurrent expenditure.
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