Osun state Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola flags off N14.57b East-West by-pass

The Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at the weekend, flagged off an 18km dual carriage way Osogbo East Bye Pass named after former governor of the defunct Western Region and late Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, at the whopping cost of N14.5 billion. The road project would be the third of its kind flagged off by the current administration as part of effort at transforming the state. Performing the flagging-off of the road in Osogbo, Aregbesola said that his administration is firmly set on the match at developing the state. At the well-attended event, the governor said the major pre-occupation of his administration is the improvement of socio-economic, infrastructural development and the well-being of the people. “This is why in the last 31months, the state government has devoted priority attention to the modernisation of road infrastructure.” The governor noted that road infrastructure is a crucial element of development effort of his administration to take the state to an enviable height. The road, according to him, can be referred to as circumferential highway starting from the roundabout along Iwo Road and passes through Ofatedo to Ataoja Grammar School, through Ilesa Road and terminates at Osogbo Stadium roundabout area. The project, according to the governor, would feature construction of new culverts, three river bridges, concrete side drainage and retaining walls, pavement surface and marking, construction of railway underpass, construction of interchange and provision of street light. According to Aregbesola, bad roads have been a major bane of development efforts in the country which also explains why the roads in the state have suffered years of neglect under the previous governments; hence his administration is investing enormous resources on roads projects in the state. The governor observed that when considering what is lost as a result of bad road in terms of human lives and valuable material resources, it is better to imagine what the people would stand to gain if and when the roads are put in good shape. He stated that the cost-benefit analysis has been a major driving force behind government’s commitment to modernising road network in the state. “The depth of our commitment to road transformation is evident in the fact that our state is now a massive road construction site. We are constructing, reconstructing and rehabilitating roads all over the state. “Our ultimate aim is to make Osun a state that will have one of the best and most modern road infrastructures in the whole of the country, Aregbesola said.While speaking on efforts of the government in rural areas where roads are being opened up, the Governor stated that the gesture is a key towards encouraging farming with a view to ensuring abundant food production and food security. He emphasised that with greater road access, there is easy flow of input to the farms and smooth evacuation of farm produces to the markets.