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Oyo, Ogbomoso and Ilorin residents and other road users who have been waiting for the past eight years to see the completion of the abandoned Oyo/Ogbomoso expressway project, now have a reason to smile. It was learnt at the weekend that N6 billion has been appropriated in the 2016 budget for the completion of the road.
The senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Monsurat Sunmonu, disclosed this while updating her constituency, revealing that the budgetary allocation was a result of her concerted efforts in order to deliver on her campaign promises.
She had co-sponsored a motion at the senate on the need to complete ongoing road projects, regretting the number of accidents that have claimed the lives of many on the Oyo/Ogbomoso Road.
Sunmonu, who is Chairman, Senate Committee on foreign Affairs, explained that she leveraged on her relationship with the Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, and her Works, Power and Housing counterpart, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN).
She said:
“This is why it gives me great joy to tell you that the road was allocated N6 billion for completion.
“I was able to leverage on the relationships I had built with the Minister of Finance and the Minister for Power Works and Housing while I was Speaker of Oyo State. Without these relationships, I wouldn’t have been able to get the job done. I was also able to leverage on the mandate that the good people of Oyo Central gave me at the elections.
“I promised to get the road fixed during my campaign and I am well on the way to doing it. Now, I will use my legislative oversight functions to make sure that the contractor does the work to standard.”
The Senator explained that after co-raising the motion in August 2015, she visited the site with the contractor, Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), during her September last year constituency tour, where she understood the issues that had held down the project.
The Oyo/Ogbomoso expressway links the West with the North through Ilorin.