The Ondo State government has been receiving praises for taking construction of roads to the next level. Among the latest to attract the attention of the government is the A Division-Ijoka-Idanre road, and part of the road is already being overlaid with asphalt. With this and many other road projects like it, the Oluwarotimi Akeredolu led government is poised to make its mark.

Concerning that road, the governor said: “For me it has always been my wish to transverse this road back to Akure and through this, we are opening a new life for Idanre people.

“This road among other benefits, opens this city for tourist attraction so that everybody could come here and have beautiful moments while visiting our tourist centres.”

According to reports, part of the road would soon be ready for use.

It is important to note that there has been no incident of contractors abandoning project sites and this could be put to the novel approach to road construction that the state government has put in place. They are only paid in phases for job done based on the agreement with the government. With that the contractors would be on their toes to deliver as and when due.

Construction of access roads is important for the development of the society. It has the potential to increase the value of lands and landed properties, ease movement of farm products and other goods.

And in different parts of the state, the pain felt by those cut off when the culvert(s) leading to their area collapsed has been eased with government’s intervention.

According to reports, examples of such interventions include: construction of three box culverts in Ikare; construction of box culvert and a bridge along Oba-Akoko-Ikunu Road, construction of box culvert at Iralepo, Owo; construction of box culvert, channels, drains and approaches at Ore.

The governor has described the rehabilitation of roads as a dividend of good governance. He said that N9billion has already been expended to construct and rehabilitate roads in the state, revealing the passion of the state government in that regard.

In the construction of roads, especially dualisation, there are buildings that have to give way and indemnity paid to those whose buildings have to give way.

The governor said the government is “ensuring that all those whose property were affected by our development activities are duly compensated. The payment is to make it easy for them to relocate, acquire new property and continue life without hardship or encumbrances.”

Speaking on the 12kilometer Okitipupa Igbokoda road, Governor Akeredolu said: “The essence of this road is to divert traffic from inside Okitipupa town. We have to go through Okitipupa to Igbokoda and pass through markets and congested roads and we chose to have a bypass to assist traffic, hence the construction of the road.

“A lot of work has been done at the other end of the road and we can now pass through and it is an achievement for us.”

On the activities of the contractor, he said “they have gone beyond the amount we have given them, so we have to struggle to get money for them to speed up work. The terrain is very swampy and has to be stabilised.”

A few of the other roads being attended to by government in the southern senatorial districts are: Sabomi-Ajagba road, Ayeka Araromi road and secretariat road in Irele.

The Ore flyover along Shagamu-Benin expressway is also under construction. Travellers coming from Lagos into Akure, passing through that route would readily attest to that fact seeing how the place has been transformed. It did not just end as a good idea, when it was announced but the contractors have been mobilised to site and work is being done.

The infamous Oke Alabojuto road has also been attended to, bringing succour to people in the northern senatorial district.

There are many projects in Akure, Ondo State capital. They include: Ekiti Avenue Ijapo, Oluwatoyin crescent Alagbaka GRA, dualisation of CBN-Bishop courts road, Alagbaka, Iwalewa road, Court of Appeal road, Signature-Federal High Court-SIB road, Alagbaka and patching of selected roads in Akure.

In Owo, there is the dualisation of Emure Junction-Owo road. Idanre township roads and St Peters road Ile-oluji are not left behind.

Among the roads still to be constructed according to the plans of the government is the Akunnu-Ikaram-Oke Agbe-Afin-Ogbagi-Irun road.

The governor revealed that the design of the road has been completed, and contractors would soon be mobilised to the site. He made this known on a recent visit to the Akoko North West Local government, where the Olupe of Ipe-Akoko, Oba Francis Apata, like Oliver Twist, made an additional appeal for the rehabilitation of the Epinmi-Ikare-Oba-Ikuun-Ipe-Isua road.

He said: “We know they are Federal Government roads, but we appeal to you to use your connection to ensure that they are touched.”