Reinvigorated OGPWA and impactful landmarks

Citizens are happy, and are always at peace when government of the day is alive to its statutory responsibilities in the provision of basic needs that ameliorate their living conditions.

While recalling the emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun, the fifth democratically elected governor of Ogun State, in the March 9, 2019 gubernatorial election, as a child of necessity, it was no doubt that his ascension into the office has instilled confidence in the polity that some leaders were born great to provide qualitative governance.

Thus, the administration’s pillars anchored on the acronym ISEYA (Infrastructure, Social Welfare and Wellbeing, Education, Youth Development and Agriculture) is a testimony to a focused and quantitative governance that is driven by a vision for Ogun state where people can safely live, work and do business. Coming next and quite applauding is the emphasis on the priority of the government to immediately look into how to upgrade, rehabilitate, repair and restructure township roads towards creating an enabling environment for people to come and invest in the state. And before people can come and invest in the state they would want to see electricity, good roads, security and other things in place to guarantee the prosperity of their investments.

The issue of rural and township roads is that a matter of infrastructure.

On account of numerous government’s responsibilities, governance is expensive and it also requires interventions from the private sector’s involvement to provide the needed impetus to realise the set goals. This is achievable towards the creation of an enabling environment for a Public-Private Sector partnership which is fundamental to the economic growth of the state and individual prosperity. For Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to thrive, there must be put in place right infrastructure.

With the aggressive drive, the ongoing rehabilitation of existing roads across the three senatorial districts in the state reinforces confidence in the ability of the current administration to deliver dividends of democracy as promised. The hitherto Ogun State Road Maintenance Agency (OGROMA) which morphed into the Ogun State Public Works Agency (OGPWA), following the speedy passage of the bill into law on August 28, 2019, that gave legal teeth to the latter a full autonomy, has lived up to expectations.

Taking a cursory look into the assigned tasks, the Agency, since inception, has to its credit the rehabilitation of nothing less than 79 roads and construction of several drainages across seven (Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Ilaro, Ota, Ifo, Ijebu and Sagamu) districts that were categorized into zones. This has been made possible with the designation of each zone under the direct supervision of a civil engineer, with various gangs under his or her watch, but depending on how large a zone is. By the nature of the assigned tasks and towards enhancing the speedy completion of the projects, each zonal engineer is saddled with the responsibility of carrying out regular survey within his or her jurisdiction. If there is any request, they go round to identify deplorable portions of the roads and they, without delay, quickly fix those that are of economic benefits to the growth and development of the state.

Quite evident, there is no gain saying the fact, that the reinvigorated OGPWA has demonstrated impactful landmarks in the rehabilitation of several roads in major cities and rural areas. Cries and groans of motorists, motorcyclists and other road users that have typified several years of neglect, on account primordial sentiment or vindictiveness, to fix these deplorable roads by the immediate past administration have given ways to out-pouring accolades on the current visionary leadership in the state. For instance, driving round Abeokuta, the state capital, has become a thing of joy. Unlike in the past when potholes were made invogue and they dotted virtually every road, including the state capital, which was expected to be a model, the lip service wrought untold hardships on the citizens for several years before the coming onboard of the current dispensation in the state.

However, OGPWA has remained focused in its responsibilities.

The Agency, in its novel assigned responsibility, is currently and strategically sighted, undertaking the repairs of the following roads, across the state. The roads include Salawu Labode Avenue, Sam Ewang Road (Abeokuta South LG), Somorin-Iyanbu Road (Odeda LG), Ago Ika-Agura-Kobiti Junction Road, Ayetoro Garage Road (Abeokuta North LG), Eggua-Igbogila Road (Yewa North LG), Prof. Asiwaju Road (Imeko Afon LG), Okede/Palace Road (Ado Odo-Ota LG), Orile Ifo Road (Ifo LG), Odogbolu-Aiyepe Road, TASUED Internal Road (Odogbolu LG), Ereko-Moborode Road (Ijebu Ode LG), Ijari-Erunwon-Imowo Roundabout-Ilese Barracks Road (Ijebu North East LG), Asaiye Road, Sagamu (Sagamu LG), General Hospital Road, Iperu, Awolowo Road, Ikenne, and Iperu-Ilishan Roundabout (Ikenne LG).

Regarding the safety of lives and facilitating free-flow of vehicular traffic, the Agency is not found wanting in carrying out repairs. Periodically, it clears drains to allow for free flow of flood, and sectoral or full repairs, depending on the state of the roads.

Stakeholders’ engagement is another feature that has contributed, in no small measure, to the success story of the Agency. Before embarking on any road repairs, it goes into a relationship with members of the Community Development Associations (CDAs), Baales or Monarchs, as the case may be, Trade Associations among others, in a bid to stave off crises or, from encountering face-off with social miscreants who might want to frustrate government’s interventions in certain areas of development.

Also, the approach is another gesture that has brought about economic empowerment to the inhabitants who are often encouraged to engage in the supply of bags of cement, granites and also labour for service delivery.

For efficient service delivery and maintenance, the Agency, by tradition, resorts to social advocacy programme which is intended to educate motorists, motorcyclists, mechanics, car-wash operators, residents and others on the inherent dangers on the bad use of roads. Improper discharge of water flowing or passing on the roads, dumping of refuse on the roads, indiscriminate cutting and digging of the roads, burning of tyres under the guise of demonstrations (Aluta) and vigilante service, cooking with hot stoves, pouring of petroleum products and allied oils, like diesel, petrol, engine oil and brake oil on asphalt road pavements and others, have been identified as threats to the perennial causes of bad roads.

It should be noted that these roads are collective heritage for all and sundry which must be protected and maintained from being damaged.

• Ogbonnikan wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun state capital.

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