Abiodun Proposes N32Billion On Rural Roads Construction, Rehabilitation

The Ogun State Government has said its proposing the sum of N32, 463, 069, 709.35 billion naira for the construction of about 300 kilometers rural roads of the state.

The Consultant to Ogun Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ade Akinsanya who disclosed this at the Treasury Board Meeting On Year 2020 Budget of Ministry of Works said the figures included the capital, overhead and personnel costs.

Akinsanya noted that, the proposed budget was short of N34billion in the approved N66billion for 2019.

He equally stressed that, the ministry of works and infrastructure intends to generate the sum of N1.3billion from the checking permit, fire service and VIO duty.

He however added that, the ministry is currently looking at new technologies that will aid the rehabilitation of roads in the state, adding that the ministry would be in need of over N200billion naira to fully reach the level where its duty of ensuring motorable road is met.

In his own submission, the Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Mr. Dapo Okubadejo said the proposed N200 billion Naira will be spread over the few years.

Okubadejo explained that, the Public Private Partnership initiative will be critical to the development of infrastructure in the state, saying the state has to look for cheaper ways of delivery infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has said “no vanity project” will feature in the 2020 budget being compiled for presentation to the State Assembly.

He assured that cognizance has been taken to eliminate “White Elephant projects” or any such project that would boost the public perception of any political actor in the State.

“We must realize that our responsibilities to the people or our State go beyond channeling efforts towards the routine patterns for the use of public resources of those in power. We must device a system of strategic allocation of resources which ensure that politics is secondary. Projects and programmes of government in the first full budget that we are preparing would have impact on the people who are the real essence of government”, Governor Abiodun said.

He noted that public servants duties go beyond merely allocation of resources, but to programmes that make meaning to people’s lives.

He challenged public servants to join him to devise ways of allocating resources to government policies, projects and programmes that have direct impact on the lives of the people and not those meant to message people’s ego.

“All the expenditure are going to be targeted at programmes and projects aimed at continued development of our State and creating more prosperity for the people. In doing this, we will be achieving the mission of our administration, as embodied in the building our future together agenda”, he said.