Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, announced that the inaugural flyover in Ile-Ife is set to be finished within a year.
He disclosed this during the official commencement ceremony held at Lagere Junction, Ile-Ife, on Tuesday.
The event, graced by the presence of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, saw Governor Adeleke detailing that the project’s budget stands at N14.9 billion.
He said, “Our good people of Ile Ife and Osun as a whole, we are here for two in one event. We are flagging off the flyover bridge at Lagere Junction as well as the commencement of 55 kilometres of roads across the 30 local governments and the area office.
“After compliance with the due process and procurement laws, the flyover bridge is awarded to Messrs. Sammya Nigeria Limited at a total project cost of Fourteen Billion, Nine Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million, Seven Hundred and Seventy One, (N14,938,924,771.45). The completion period is twelve months.
“Additionally, I flag off the construction of local government roads totalling 55.86km at the cost of N30,677,814,099.42. This is also to have a completion period of twelve months.”
Adeleke additionally revealed that rehabilitation has commenced on 55.86km of local government roads throughout Ife land, amounting to N30.6 billion.
He highlighted completed road projects in the four local government areas of Ife land and pledged continued efforts to enhance infrastructure, acknowledging Ile-Ife’s significance as the ancestral home of the Yoruba people.
Adeleke encouraged close collaboration between project contractors and community residents for successful implementation.
Oba Ogunwusi praised Adeleke’s efforts to improve infrastructure and urged consideration for rehabilitating other deteriorating roads in Ife.
“When the governor proposed this project, I was very happy. Ile-Ife is the origin; despite that the governor is from Ede, he remembered his ancestral home. I want to plead with the governor to remember Mayfair Road.
“I want to plead with the governor not to deceive us with the flag off, but please help us to complete this project. Don’t just come here to cut the ribbon, but please complete this overhead bridge you unveiled today,” he stated.