Mr Kayode Ibrahim, Oyo State Controller of Works, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, says the ministry will soon begin demolition of structures erected on federal roads’ right-of-way across the state
Ibrahim, who stated this on Monday in an interview with newsmen in Ibadan, declared that the ministry would no longer tolerate encroachers on right-of-ways of federal roads.
He admonished members of the public, who had built permanent structures or were using federal roads’ right-of-way for one purpose or the other, to vacate forthwith.
According to him, right-of-way is a space of 45.72 metres from the median of the road.
He said that the ministry had been engaging in sensitisation to intimate the encroachers of the illegality of their actions.
“Recently, a joint sensitisation exercise by Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states’ Controllers of Works was carried out to educate the occupiers of the right-of-way on Lagos- Ibadan expressway.
“The sensitization, which exercise started in Lagos, through Sagamu, Ogere, and ended at Ojoo in Ibadan, gave us the opportunity to interact with the encroachers on the illegality of their actions and ask them to vacate the right-of-way.
“The next stage is to go and mark those places and give the encroachers notice to quit. We are going to embark on enforcement after the expiration of the quit notice,” he stated.
The controller said that massive construction works were ongoing in Oyo State.
He cited the 53-kilometer Oyo-Ogbomosho dual carriage way project, saying that it had extensively received the attention of the Federal Executive Council, with the approval of the augmentation of the contract sum from N47.50 billion to N105.04 billion.
This, the controller said, was as a result of adjustment in the scope of work.
Ibrahim, who said that construction work on the road was progressing, expressed optimism that the project would be delivered at the stipulated time.
He added that Oyo-Iseyin road had been fixed, stressing that fantastic palliative work had been done on the road.
The controller further stated that the construction of bridge across Ogun River at Km. 37, Maya-Iseyin road, was nearing completion, adding that what remained was just to connect the bridge to the road.
Ibrahim noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was so passionate about fixing the roads and other infrastructure across the country.
He called on Nigerians to continue to support the federal government in its efforts at ensuring infrastructure development in the country.