By JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, Abuja

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, on Thursday, sought the transfer of Sagamu to Ikorodu road, Epe to Ijebu-Ode Road, Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta to the state.

Abiodun, who had been accompanied by former governor of the state, Segun Osoba, to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, explained to State House Correspondents that the aim of seeking the transfer of the roads to the state was to commercialise them.

Abiodun said the roads would be rehabilitated, constructed and upgraded by the state, saying they had already secured the financing for this purpose.

He explained that easy access to the state will impact positively on the economic potentials of the state.

He added that his administration is also seeking the support of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the federal government in its agriculture programme.

Abiodun said: “Our state today is the closest state to the biggest economy in this country. It is important that people can move between our state and Lagos state and also to the hinterland.

“Today, the busiest highway in this country passes through our state. You cannot travel between Lagos and the rest of the country without passing through our state.

“So we came and told the President that there are alternative routes apart from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the truth is that even the construction is completed, that highway does not have the capability to accommodate the traffic that has now completely gone beyond what was anticipated.

“That highway cannot carry that traffic. So we must begin to look for alternative routes, what comes to mind is the Sagamu to Ikorodu road, the Epe to Ijebu-Ode road, the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road these are alternative roads that would allow for us to efficiently move people from Ogun to Lagos and vis-visa and the rest of the country.”

Abiodun added: “To achieve all these, we need to have the right infrastructure, so we came to the president to help us in allowing the Federal ministry of works to transfer these roads to us we would be commercialising them – they are commercial roads anyway.

“The Sagamu to Ikorodu road was the old Ibadan road; it is on that road that we have the biggest NNPC depot on that road. There are so many factories on that road and most of these factories have gone moribund.

“Trucks drivers are also refusing to go and load on that road. If that road is transferred to both Lagos and Ogun State, we will commercialize it we will have these roads rehabilitated, constructed and upgraded. We have already secured the financing for this purpose.

“On the 26 of this month, by the grace of God, we will be turning the sod on the Ijebu-Ode to Epe road. This is a state road, Lagos State has done it to their border, we are completing the 14 kilometres between that border and Ogun State and that road will be completed in one year.

“But I believe that when that road is completed, people coming from the east, Ondo, Ijebu, Ibadan will have an option, they don’t have to go to Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

“This will ease the ability to do business in Ogun State. These are one of the things we came to discuss with Mr. President about.

“We also came to discuss with the President what we are doing in agriculture and the support that we need for that,” the Governor said. (The Sun)

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