The Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, has called on the Nigerian Government to give attention to all cases of perversed justice across the country, saying doing so would guarantee the peace people are clamouring for.
Noting that perversed justice across the country is the cause of the crisis making peace elusive among the people, Governor Diri urged the FG to ensure it is on the same page with the people in the bid to give the desired leadership to the people.
Diri made the call, in Oyo Town, Oyo State, in a goodwill message at a ceremony to flag off the 34.85km Oyo/Fashola/Iseyin road in the state.
The event, which held at the Ojongbodu Grammar School, Oyo, was attended by top government functionaries, traditional rulers, former and serving lawmakers, community leaders and religious leaders, among other stakeholders.
Noting that the flag-off was almost turning out to be a second term campaign of Makinde, the Bayelsa State Governor explained that his investigation revealed that the road being flagged off means so much to the people of Oyo and Iseyin towns and has so much economic value, as well as geographic value, and saluted Makinde for his vision and commitment to serve his people diligently.
Diri stated: “Projects like these are very difficult to embark on in the times we are into in Nigeria. It takes a man of courage, vision and love for the people to embark on a project like this. So, I believe that as we flag off this road project in Oyo and Iseyin, this road project will be completed in record time. For us as a people of Oyo State, what we need to do is to give support to your son as the governor of Oyo state. And ensure that there is no hitch while this project is in the process of being completed.”
He commended the government and the people of Oyo State for the peaceful environment he met in the state, where there were no kilings, saying such could happen because the people and the government of the state are on the same page. He charged the Federal Government to also be on the same page with the people and ensure justice so that there would be peace in the country.
The federal road project, being handled by Messrs Kopek Construction, was originally awarded at the cost of N8.4 billion but was increased to N9.9 billion due to increase in the width of the road from 10.75m to 12.75m among other things, in a bid to meet the federal government’s specifications.
Speaking earlier, the host governor, Makinde debunked insinuations that he is already plunging the state into debts, describing such as fake news by people who do not understand how his administration is raising the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), building the economy and engineering a modern Oyo State by flagging off projects when some states are finding it difficult to pay salaries.
Makinde said: “Our secret to carrying on these projects is the Alternate Project Funding Approach (APFA). And I can say it’s an open secret. Because from when we started using it, we have always been open and transparent about it. With APFA, the contractor funds the project, and we pay back over an agreed period of time. And let me make this clear: you have my word that not one Naira will be left unpaid to any contractor under APFA at the end of our current tenure.”
The Oyo Governor explained that the repayment period of the project, which was awarded in June, is 17 months, which nears that the project would be completed before all the repayments are made and the last repayment would be made by December 2022.
He asserted that road construction is a big part of his administration’s plan to engineer a modern Oyo State as the building of roads forms the foundation of the development of all other sectors of the four pillars of his governance as clearly outlined in his government’s Roadmap to Accelerated Development in Oyo State, 2019-2023.
The governor later flagged off the dualisation of the Ibadan Airport road, Alakia, where he was accompanied by former Oyo State Governor, Dr Omololu Olunloyo.
The road, which forms part of the 10.8km road awarded at a cost of N4.9billion, on Wednesday, is to be named after Dr Omololu Olunloyo.
Nnenna.O
