Inland Port project: Ondo govt lambasts immediate administration of neglect

Ondo state government on Monday, alleged the immediate past administration of Dr Olusegun Mimiko of neglecting the development of the Alape lnland port approved by the Federal government in 2013.

The Special Adviser to the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu on Transportation, Tobi Ogunleye, who stated this while denying a statement credited to the former Commissioner for Transport in the state, Mr. Nicolas Tofowomo on the inland port during a campaign in the state.

Ogunleye who lambasted Tofowomo for accusing the present government in the state of lackadaisical attitude and incompetence for not following up with the project.

Ogunleye said “the claim of Tofowomo is too pedestrian, spurious and unguarded. He should stop shifting the blame. The incompetence of the last administration should not be shifted to this present administration.”

He said that the state Oil Producing Area Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has been mandated by the present administration to intervene in the constructing the 1Km road linking the port before the project could take off.

Ogunleye pointed out that Tofowomo was playing dirty politics and wondered the reason behind the blame passing after the immediate administration under which he served abandoned the project.

” Aside the inauguration of a 13-man committee headed by him, the last administration did not do any tangible work as there was no record of its activity.

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” Also, the 1Km access road to connect the port site had not been executed till date.

” The federal government has insisted on the construction of the access road to avoid the repeat of what happened in Baro Port in Niger state when access road was completely left undone even till the commissioning period” Ogunleye said

Ogunleye said the present administration in the state reviewed the project immediately it came on board and said ” this impactful project and fast track it’s implementation.

” The ministry of transport has liaise with relevant government agencies such as NIWA, NIMASSA and the Federal Ministry of Transportation on regular basis.

“Before now, the NIWA officers had visited the site and carried out the mapping, coordinates of the site on the land and water.

He said the move was to achieve a vast economic growth in the maritime sector in the states for the benefit of the people.

The National Council on Transport had approved the establishment of the ports in nine states as part of the Federal government strategic plan to decongest the Lagos Ports already experiencing congestion challenges.