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Oyetola flags off Olaiya flyover, says project targeted at securing Osun future population explosion, meet traffic needs
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State on Thursday flagged off the construction of Olaiya flyover in Osogbo.
He said the project was in swift response to the need to secure the future population explosion, meet traffic needs, eradicate needless auto crash and enhance the quality of lives of the people through timely and prompt infrastructure development.
The proposed flyover, which will be handled by Messrs Peculiar Ultimate
Concerns Limited, is a 4-span of 15m each, with two Underpass bays for U-turning to Fakunle/Justrite and MDS/Post Office.
It is a 295.95m length of Bridge Approach Ramp, 196m long Fakunle Ramp, 99.95m long MDS Ramp, with slope of Ramp being 3 percent.
Similarly, the project is designed to accommodate articulated vehicles with intelligent lightening devices and smart traffic control devices.
The project is expected to be completed in nine months.
Addressing the people at the ceremony, Governor Oyetola disclosed that the project would cost the State a total sum of Three Billion, One Hundred and Eight Million, Three Hundred and Seventy-Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Nine Naira, Seventy-Six Kobo (N 3,108,379,829.76).
The Governor said the expenses comprised the net sum of N 2,688,748,552.74 and a 13.5 percent statutory deductions which include the percentage withholding tax, 7.5 percent Value Added Tax and 1 percent stamp duty deduction.
Oyetola diaclosed that the project would be funded through the Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA).
According to him, the APFA entails that the contractor will fund the project, while the State repays the contractor over a period of time so as to enable government to free up resources for other important obligations.
He added that the construction of the flyover would not in any way stop the government from delivering on other dividends of good governance, including citizens’ welfare, regular payment of workers’ salaries and pensions, completion of ongoing projects and initiation of more.
“Indeed, the adoption of Alternative Project Funding Approach is another leg in our model of creative funding of projects in a depressed economy and an assurance that we shall always keep our pact with our people.
“The Olaiya Flyover project is in response to the need to enhance the quality of lives of our people and improve the infrastructure our city, which in recent years is becoming more populated and boisterous on account of increasing business activities.
“The implication of this is the growing traffic around major routes in the State and specifically, the Olaiya axis, leading to waste of man hours by residents in our State.
“Sadly too, there have been countless cases of accidents of commuters. I have personally witnessed few of these unfortunate incidents. We cannot afford to waste more lives.
“Besides, response to the infrastructure needs and demands of a growing city is a proactive exercise. Therefore, this flyover is a project for today and the future because when the project is completed, we are assured that it will significantly eradicate traffic hassles and make the lives of our valued citizens more secured.
“Just as I promised in my inauguration speech, our Administration is committed to providing relevant infrastructure that supports the prosperity of our people. With this project and many more across our State, we are keeping faith with that promise,” he added.
Governor Oyetola, who assured the residents, particularly business owners around the site, of government’s consciousness to their livelihood, said, “we are therefore appealing to owners of businesses around the project site to bear with us, as we will try as much as possible to minimise inconvenience.
“Realising that the closure of this road will bring some temporary difficulties, we have made enough provision for alternative routes to serve vehicular needs.
“The demonstration we carried out a few weeks ago has provided us relevant information with which to plan and make life easier for you all.
“I urge you all to bear with us as we strive to improve the socioeconomic status of our State, and I assure you all that this project will be completed in record time,” Oyetola added.
Earlier, the Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye, lauded Governor Oyetola for giving Osun, particularly Osogbo, a facelift of socioeconomic and infrastructural development.
In his remarks, Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Remi Omowaye, said the idea to construct the flyover was conceptualised as part of efforts to reduce traffic, lessen accident rate and advance the infrastructure development in the State.
He said the project would as well go a long way to complement some of the new roads approved for construction and rehabilitation by the Oyetola’s led administration.
Also speaking, the Chairman/CEO Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited, Mr. Abel Adeleke, assured the government and residents of quality and standard service that can stand the test of time.
Adeleke who promised to bring his repository of experience in civil engineering to bear on the construction of the flyover, pledged that the project would be delivered within the stipulated record time.
“What we are operating in Osun is based on integrity and this project will be done in such a way that will not impact negatively on the debt profile of the State. We are glad to have this opportunity and I assure you that we will deliver the project within the stipulated time,” he stressed.
The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, applauded Governor Oyetola, for taking the welfare and well-being of the people as priority just as he commended the government for deeming it fit to build the flyover as part of efforts to complement the existing road infrastructure.
Also speaking, a frontline Osogbo indigene and business mogul, Chief Olatunde Badmus, said the project is a confirmation of the fact that Osun has always been blessed with good leadership.
He commended Oyetola’s concerted effort to engender good governance as reflected in the monumental achievements the Administration had recorded so far despite the socioeconomic challenges occasioned by global realities.
News
Ending Inisa Central Mosque Leadership Crisis: FRMIOS Calls For Constitution of Shuurah Committee
…harps on harmonising Interests among Warring Factions
Muslims have been charged to always embrace peace and uphold the tenets of Islam in whatever they do including selection of a leader or Imam.
The Forum of Ratibi Mosque Imams of Osun State (FRMIOS), a registered Islamic Organization under the leadership of Pa Alhaji Shehik Imaam Illyas Afolabi Alawe gave the charge this weekend.
This was coming against the backdrop of the efforts at resolving the Inisha Central Mosque leadership crisis that kept worshippers away from observing prayers at the mosque for quite a while before last Friday.
In a release signed by the organisation’s secretary, Jamiu omotoso Tajudeen and made available to Daily Mail in Osogbo, FRMIOS called for constitution of a Shuurah Committee as a way to harmonize Interests of the Warring Factions.
The release read in part: “To be an Imam is to lead others in observing Salats and doings of some other religious activities including presentation of regular Sermons. It is a question of one having adequate and sufficient knowledge, wisdom and native intelligence more so that essence of the leadership in Islam is to guide adherents of the faith to the way of Allaah as sent to mankind through all the Prophets.”
“Shuurah Committee is a body always assigned a role to determine and select a leadership in Islam based on the religious criteria. It follows that where such had been in place within the Muslim community in this part of the country, probably closure of the central Mosque would have been averted and an ugly development that did more harm to the Muslims and Islam at large.
“The warring factions should therefore embrace peace and see to amicable resolution of the crisis in the overall interest of the Muslims and Islam which is obviously facing a lot of challenges in the Southwest as a result of inability of the Ummah to be united and speak with one voice.
“We therefore further call on the state government to look into urgent creation of the Shari’ah Court of Appeal in this state as guaranteed by Section 275 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Taking into consideration the huge population of the Muslims in the state, creation of such Shari’ah Court of Appeal in the state will definitely avert such a leadership crisis and others which are capable of disturbing peaceful coexistence of the people in the state.
“In addition, creation of such Shari’ah Court will provide jobs and generate more revenue for the government while such religious crises would always be settled in a very civilized manner. Our organization shall not relent in promoting peace, harmony and in a quest to see to the creation of the Shari’ah Court of Appeal in Osun State.
“Meanwhile, intervention of the well-meaningful people such as Chief Imam of Osogbo, HRM Olunisa of Inisa, Our Sheikhs, Alfas, brothers in Islam and Osun State government is highly appreciative and commendable.”
A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in Osun State, Senator Felix Ogunwale has said the Nigerian presidency should lead the way for others to follow in cutting down cost of governance.
Senator Ogunwale spoke on Wednesday in Osogbo while fielding question from a panel at a programme, The Frontliners’ organised by the Osun State Chapter of Association of Veteran Journalists, AVJ.
He said the right thing to be done was for the president of the country to show commitment to changing the narrative by not only asking Nigerians to endure the current hardship but to demonstrate the willingness to also make all arms of government to also feel the impact in their budget.
“I have always said it that we are note being driven by ideas in Nigeria but money. You can’t be asking those in the National Assembly to reduce their pay now when in actual sense the reason for some of them being their is to amaze wealth.
“Do you know what to correct this, it’s if our president, I am not referring to the current president, it’s the day our president decide to be riding bicycle to his office, the day the balance in his account is not more than 10 million, the day our president refuses to take more aides than it’s necessary, the day our president doesn’t believe in amazing wealth.”
The chairman of the event, Dr. Muyiwa Oladimeji who also shared the views of the guest urged the people of the State to continue to support the Administration of Senator Ademola Adeleke to be able to achieve his dream of developing all sectors of the State.
He commeded the AVJ for championing such efforts geared towards charting a way forward on how to achieve all round growth and development of the society and the nation at large.
Earlier, the chairman, AVJ, Adepoju Atobatele had described the programme as another opportunity to get Nigerians engaged on salient issues of national and global dimensions on the Front Liners.
Atobatele said, the association considered it a duty as professionals in the pen fraternity, to deepen democracy by constantly provoking Intellectual disputes that would widen public horizon of issues that are germane to the wellbeing, progress, security as well galvanizing interest in the affairs of the Country.
He said “The FRONTLINERS has been very active in widening discussions and analytical assessments of issues, events and personalities involved in determining the socio-economic and political directions of our dear Country, Nigeria.
“These we are carrying out successfully with the resources available to us in different ways, through the instrumentality of the Media.
“Ours as a professional body of retired media practitioners, still active in the concept of information management, has thus taken it as a sacred duty to act as change agents in a society yearning for objective information dissemination.”
…as Nigeria sets to sign MoU with Saudi Arabia
The minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, on Tuesday, continued bilateral discussions with ministers and representatives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Brazil and Jamaica, expressing Nigeria’s government interest in learning from their knowledge and experiences.
This was revealed through his media aide, Ismail Omipidan, in a statement issued on Tuesday evening.
Recall that Oyetola, on Monday, held bilateral meetings with representatives of Greece, Qatar, and Mexico, on the sidelines of the ongoing 33rd General Assembly session of the International Maritime Organization, IMO, in London, United Kingdom.
During his meeting with the Brazilian Chief of the Navy’s General Staff, Adm José Augusto V. da Cunha de Menezes, the minister said Nigeria would want to learn from the operations of the Brazilian coast guards, as the ministry was desirous of setting up one so as to further secure the maritime space and the country’s waterways.
Oyetola further noted that: “We want to also focus on sectors such as Marine Renewable Energy, Marine Mining, Subsea Cabling and Piping, Marine Genetics, and Biotechnology, so as to grow the marine and blue economy.
“As we continue to expand and develop the activities of the sector, there will be need to deepen security architecture within the maritime space. In this regard, we are considering setting up Coast Guards and we believe that they will complement the existing security architecture to further secure our maritime space.”
The minister while expressing Nigeria’s desire to tap into technology to revolutionalise the maritime sector, further said “technology and innovation are vital for boosting Nigeria’s trade and investment prospects within the Marine and Blue Economy. Advanced marine technologies, including innovations in maritime logistics and smart logistics solutions, will significantly enhance the efficiency and sustainability of maritime transport and port operations, making Nigerian ports more competitive globally.”
Oyetola also met the newly elected Vice President of IMO, who is the Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK, Saida Muna Tasneem and Saudi Arabia’s Saleh bin Nasser AIJasser, who is the minister in charge of the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services of Saudi Arabia, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Both Saudi Arabia and Nigeria during the meeting agreed to sign a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cement their corporations, collaboration and partnership in the maritime space.
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