Ahead of the handing over of government come May 29th, 2019, indications are rife that the current Oyo State government is mounting pressure on the Presidency to ensure that the sod laying ceremony of the Ibadan dry port takes place before the transition of government in the state. This is even as the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has insisted that due processes must be followed.
Speaking exclusively to Nigerian Tribune when the Minister of Transportation visited the dry port in Ibadan recently, a member of the delegation, led by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Chief Moses Adeyemo, revealed that much has been put into the project by the Senator Abiola Ajimobi led administration, and that it is very important that the sod laying and handing over of the project is done before the transition to a new government.
According to the member of the deputy governor’s delegation who begged not to have his name in print as he was not authorised to speak on the matter, “It is important that the sod laying is done before May 29, 2019 because this government has put in so much towards the actualisation of this dry port.
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“As we are here today, the governor is away in Abuja on this issue. The Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Adeyemo has been to Abuja severally on this dry port. It is important that this administration hands over this project to the incoming administration in the state.”
However, when confronted by newsmen with the question of sod laying taking place before the transition of government in the state, the Minister of Transportation insisted that due process must be followed on the Ibadan dry port.
In the words of Amaechi, “Nothing has happened here yet. We are in a bush; you people are talking of when we are going to complete this dry port. There is a Federal Government procedure to which the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) falls under. Nobody can sideline that procedure.
“The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has to agree with the promoters of this project first, and then the project will go to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) where decisions will be taken as regards the cost of the project.
“The BPP will have to find out if the cost will fit into what the government wants to do. After that, the project will now go to cabinet where a debate will be held on whether to proceed or not.”
The Minister also confirmed the efforts of the Oyo State government to handover the dry port project, stating that, “You can see that it is a long process, but we will talk to Oyo State Government because they are coming up with other ideas of handing over the place to the next administration coming on board, but that does not mean the construction has started. It has to pass through due process because the company that will emerge after the bid process must be accepted by the cabinet.”
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