The Osun State House of Assembly has been cautioned against hastening the contractor handling N11 billion Osogbo/Iwo/Ibadan road project at the detriment of delivering quality job in record time.
A coalition of civil society organizations in Osun State under the auspices of The Osun Masterminds gave the caution while addressing newsmen in Osogbo.
Coordinator of the Coalition, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli noted that what should be the concerned of the Osun Assembly and the entire Osun government should be the quality of the job within the time frame and the amount so far paid to the contractor and not hastening the contractor at the detriment of delivering quality road for the state.
Professor Oyedokun-Alli described as legendary,the collaboration of the governments of the two states to fix the hitherto abandoned road which is a major road linking the two states together with a high chance of boosting the economy.
He said the government must not be seen as having something in specially with a particular contractor and any project except in the overriding interest of the people.
Another leader of the coalition, Comrade Olufemi Lawson said, “The Osun State House of Assembly is not the awarding institution, it is fine to perform oversight function but not to hasten the job on the road at the detriment of quality delivery. We want that road to be delivered with utmost quality and standard; rather than giving ultimatum to the contractor ahead of the execution and completion of the road.
Comrade Olufemi added that Osun state House of Assembly should be more interested in interrogating how the road would be delivered in a quality manner “so that the Assembly and the road users in general would not come back in the next few month and be talking about dilapidated roads like we are currently experiencing some local roads that have been under construction.”
The coalition advised Governor Ademola Adeleke to set up proper monitoring department to inspect ongoing projects so as not give room for failure.
Recalled tha Oyo State under the administration Mr Seyi Makinde and his Osun State counterpart Mr Adegboyega Oyetola awarded the road to separate contractors.
The Osun government awarded its own portion of 55-kilometer to Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Limited at N11.3 billion, while Oyo State axis, which is 36 kilometres was awarded at the cost of N12.5 billion, to be delivered in April 2024.
Meanwhile, in a recent development, the Osun State House of Assembly had invited the contractor, Engineer Olarewaju Adeleke to the sitting of the house more than on two occasions over the slow pace of the work where he explained that the terrain of the road required analysis of soil tests among others to ensure quality delivery of the project.
Engineer Adeleke has told the legislators that the project was still within the time of construction as stipulated in the contact with a promise that the job would be properly done in the interest of the people.