Ekiti: Govt begins demolition of building over security threats

THE Ekiti State government has announced that it has commenced the demolition of buildings and structures considered to be posing high-security threats to people of the state.

The state’s Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Mrs Funmilayo Ogun, who stated this while briefing newsmen in the exercise, on Tuesday, pointed out that the exercise had commenced already and that the state government had already gone through the first day.

Mrs Ogun, who briefed newsmen in Ado Ekiti, stated that all abandoned houses which she claimed had become “ready haven for all manner of criminals” would be affected.

According to her, to be affected were also houses that could stand in the way of the construction of modern car parks in the state capital, saying this would serve to ease traffic congestion in the town.

Ogun said government felt it was not enough to arrest drivers for wrong packing along the roads and make them to pay fines without providing alternative parking spaces for them.

According to her, the present administration in the state was determined to leave the state better than it met it, saying this gave rise to why it embarked on many legacy projects.

The Commissioner who dispelled insinuations in some quarters that some of the projects, especially the first Flyover in the state, currently under construction in Ado Ekiti were misplaced priority, said the plan of Fayose-led administration was not to limit scope of development to the present day alone, but to also strategize against the future by tackling some of its future infrastructural needs.

“It is ridiculous for some people to be criticizing the governor for embarking on the flyover project because of what they perceived to be waste or outright undesirability of such

“The question we are also asking them is that,  is it normal for any responsible government to wait till when the vehicular traffic of Ado Ekiti will become as congested as the scenario in Lagos before we will start thinking of constructing a flyover?”

She promised that contrary to expectations, none of the projects would be abandoned before the tenure if the present administration terminates on Oct. 16, 2018.

Already, she disclosed that government had completed the re-construction work on a 67-year-old, 30-metre long Ikun bridge on Oye-Otun road axis of the state as well as the dualization and street lighting of eight, out of the 16 local government headquarters of the state.

She said the bridge is to replace the old narrow gauge colonial bridge constructed by the administration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the 1950s.

She said the bridge was one of the projects embarked upon by the present administration to take the state to greater heights as well as make life meaningful for residents.

She listed other landmark projects currently ongoing across the state to include a new governor’s office building complex in Ado Ekiti; the one- kilometre overhead bridge in Ado Ekiti, the new High Court complex in Ado Ekiti as well as dualization of Ikere Ekiti- Ado Ekiti road.

Others area include the new ultra-modern Oja Oba market in Ado Ekiti, dualization of all towns hosting the 16 local government headquarters in the state among several other legacy projects.

She assured that no of the projects would be left uncompleted by the end of the tenure of the present government next year.

The commissioner reiterated the commitment of the Fayose-led administration to complete all ongoing projects in the State

She stressed the devotion of the administration to the provision of worthy infrastructures that would impact positively on the lives of the people

The commissioner said that the new bridge would eliminate the danger of the incessant road accidents and other security risks associated with the archaic bridge.

According to her, the completion of the projects would also boost socio-economic activities in the area as rural farmers and traders would be able to move their farm produce and wares with relative ease.

She said as a result of the commitment of the present administration to building physical infrastructures, especially roads and street lights, both private vehicle owners and commercial vehicle drivers from other states that had hitherto abandoned the state roads had found their ways back to Ekiti.