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Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has ordered that ongoing work on the Ibadan circular road project along Lagos-Ibadan expressway should stop with immediate effect.
The Governor, who paid a visit to the site of the Circular Road, off the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, said that the road is meant to connect the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to the Ibadan/Ife expressway.
The 32km road was awarded by the immediate past administration in the state led by Sen. Abiola Ajimobi for N67 billion.
According to a statement signed by the Chief Presss Secretary(CPS) to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, Makinde expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction at the level of work done by the contractor, ENL consortium limited, saying he is unhappy with what he has observed about the work.
He emphasised the significance of the Circular Road, declaring that the road was of utmost importance to the economy of the state, adding that his administration remained determined to build infrastructures that will help in expanding the economy of the State.
He said: “Basically, what we saw was not encouraging. The agreement was signed in 2017, almost three years now. The work done so far was at 5 per cent or 5.5 per cent. Also, this was a concession of about N65 billion for a 32-kilometre road. We just felt we need to pull back a little bit, look at things holistically and then take a decision in order to move forward.
“The circular road is extremely important to the economy of Oyo State and if a contractor can only achieve 5 per cent in three years, you can imagine how many years it will take to complete the road.”