The Oyo state government, on Tuesday, re-awarded the 9.7- km Saki township road for N4.7 billion, previously awarded four years ago by the administration of a former governor of the state, late Sen. Abiola Ajimobi.
Gov Seyi Makinde had on Sept 9, announced the revocation of the project from the contractor and promised that the contract would be re-awarded to more competent contractor within four weeks.
The re-award of the project was made known at the end of the weekly State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday in Ibadan, during a press briefing jointly addressed by four commissioners.
The commissioners were – the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism -Dr Wasiu Olatubosun; Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General – Prof Oyelowo Oyewo; Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology – Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye; and Commissioner for Energy, – Mr Seun Ashamu,
According to Olaleye, the contract was rewarded to Messrs Peculiar for N4,796,000,000 and is expected to be completed within 12 months,.
He further disclosed that the contract was earlier awarded for over N8billion by the past administration.
He said the former contractor had been paid the sum of N3 billion by the former administration and that the value of work done before the revocation was about N1 billion.
On his path; the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General – Prof Oyelowo Oyewo; said the Executive Council also approved N84 million for the purchase of a fire truck as part of the efforts to upgrade Ibadan Airport at Alakia.
Oyewo said the approval was granted to enable the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) improve the airport.
He posited that the purchase of the new fire truck will enhance efforts of the Airport management to attend to all fire emergencies in the airport, noting that the fire truck at the Airport has become old “and cannot meet up with the vision of the Oyo state government to have the Ibadan Airport upgraded”.
“The Council also approved a bill for the upgrade of the Ministry of Energy to Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
“The new ministry will have seven departments, which are Grid Extension and Urban Electrification, Embedded Power, Solid Minerals, Oil and Gas Services, Administration and Supply, Finance and Accounting, as well as Planning, Research and Strategy.
“The bill will be forwarded to the House of Assembly for passage into law.” Oyewo stated
The Commissioner for Energy, -Ashamu, also announced that the Executive Council had resolved to award the Gedu-Ashipa road in Oyo town, for N2.9 billion, under the Alternative Project Funding Approach.
Ashamu explained that the contractor would execute the project with his money and the government would pay back the money to the contractor before the end of the current administration.
