By LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGWAKWE

The Federal Government has pledged immediate intervention in the deplorable internal road network of the University of Ibadan.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made the pledge during a tour of the premier university on Saturday.

Umahi said the government would prioritise rehabilitation of internal roads using concrete pavement along with solar-powered streetlights and possibly Close Circuit Television (CCTV) camera installations for enhanced security.

Umahi, accompanied by top officials of the ministry, including engineers and directors from Lagos and Oyo, said he was disheartened by the poor state of infrastructure in the institution.

?I think we should do more for our older universities.

?There are no roads. The houses and infrastructure need serious attention,? he said.

He said the ministry had directed the university to submit a comprehensive layout of its road network.

?We will intervene in phases, and where we step in, we will use concrete, provide solar lights, and if possible, incorporate CCTV,? Umahi added.

The minister said University of Ibadan would be the first of several tertiary institutions to benefit, with similar assessments planned for Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

When asked whether the intervention would stop at three universities, Umahi said, ?You start from one, then you count two.

?If we can cover all federal and even state universities, we will be glad, but we are limited by funding.?

He stressed that any university?s proposal for road intervention must be jointly signed by the vice-chancellor and the director of works.

?You cannot shave a man?s head in his absence. The ministry will only consider documents endorsed by both of them,? he said.

The minister also inspected ongoing federal highway projects in the South-West Geo-political Zone.

He said that the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesha Road project, awarded to GOPEK eight years ago, would be reviewed and converted to concrete pavement due to reported failures.

He also inspected the Ife-Akure-Benin Highway and the Oyo-Ogbomoso dual carriageway being executed by GRB.

Umahi said that while the Oyo-Ogbomoso Road was being constructed with asphalt, the shoulders would be concrete, noting that it would be an improvement over full asphalt.

He said that all new projects by the ministry of works and ongoing ones would adopt the concrete pavement standard being used in the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, receiving the minister and his team, expressed appreciation for the visit.

He said: ?This university, founded in 1948, has grown from just three faculties to 23 faculties and two colleges, including a postgraduate college that is a flagship in Africa.

?Today?s visit is historic and signifies hope for infrastructure development.? (NAN)

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