The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday, handed over the completed 1.27 kilometres of the internal road at the Federal Medical Centre, (FMC) Owo in Ondo State, saying the intervention is to improve the quality of infrastructure and the quality of education with a positive impact on students.
Speaking during the inauguration and handing over of the roads to the management of FMC, said the internal road construction and rehabilitation in institutions was part of President Buhari’s led administration commitment to bridge the gap in the infrastructure needs of the country.
Fashola who was represented by Mr Olajide Hussein, the state Controller of the Federal Ministry of Works, disclosed that the Federal Government has successfully intervened in the construction of about 64 internal road projects in various federal government institutions in 2022.
He said that about 18 other roads would soon be handed over to some institutions while the government was currently attending to 19 roads in some of the institutions across the country.
He disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had stepped up to lead the process of getting road work done and bridge the gap of infrastructure needs through a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction on major highways and institutions.
The minister said that it was undebatable that the quality of work and services would be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the conducive environment, disclosing that many defective roads have been restored to good condition in various institutions.
He said apart from the construction of the roads within these institutions, the Federal Government has been able to create job opportunities in these institutions during the construction.
He said “People were employed in the process contributing to the job creation initiatives of the government, and it is hoped that the institution will ensure that this asset is used properly and not abused,
In his remarks, Mr Olajide Hussein, the state Controller of the Federal Ministry of Works, asked any institution that needed intervention to write to the ministry, saying such intervention would be subjected to the minister’s approval.
Hussein said that the roads were of the highest quality and standard, asking the medical centre to put the projects to the best use and maintenance.
Appreciating the gesture, the Chief Medical Director of FMC, Owo, Dr Liasu Ahmed, said that the projects would surely ease patients’ and workers’ movements and safeguard their health conditions.
Ahmed who was represented by the Head of Clinical Services, Joseph Ayeyemi, said the road networks would reduce the spread of dust and other unwanted pollution in the facility.
He said that transportation would be made easy within the medical centre and add more beauty to the ambience of the centre, thereby boosting patients’ confidence in getting healed in the centre.
He assured the FG that the roads would be adequately maintained and well utilized but said “like Oliver Twist, we will always be looking forward to this kind of gesture.”
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