Why we approved additional scope of work on Iseyin-Oyo Road — Oyo Govt

Oyo State Government says it has approved additional scope of work on the 34.85 kilometres Iseyin-Oyo Road project to meet the Federal Government’s road specifications.

The state Commissioner for Public Works and Infastruture, Prof. Dauda Sangodoyin, made this known while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the weekly State Executive Council (SEC) meeting on Wednesday in Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the council had on June 29, during its meeting, approved the contract of the road to Kopek Construction Company at a cost of N8.4 billion.

The total contract sum, however, has now been increased to N9.9 billion, because of the additional scope of work in other to meet the Federal Government’s road specifications.

“Federal Government, through the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has given Oyo State the approval to reconstruct the road.

“But, it must be done in conformity with the Federal Government’s specifications; so, we now have to do some adjustments.

“These include extra width, stone base and thickness of 12.5mm,” he said.

Sangodoyin said that the road project, which would be funded through the Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA), “is to be completed within 12 months.

“The implication is that after a while that the project must have been achieved, the government continues to pay on a monthly basis for 17 months,” he said.

On importance of the road, the Commissioner said the road would connect the Fashola Agribusiness Industrial Hub and also create ease of doing business, thereby positively impact the state economy.

Commenting, the Commissioner for Energy and Solid Minerals, Mr Seun Ashamu, said at the briefing that the council had granted approval for the overhauling of electrical infrastructure at the state secretariat, Government House and other adjourning state government facilities.

Ashamu said that most of the electrical facilities in the locations mentioned earlier had spanned over 30 years.

According to him, there will be about 14 kilometres underground cable laying, change of some transformers and other technical works in the course of executing the project.

He said that the project was estimated to cost N710 million and expected to be completed within six months.