By Favour Olisah, JKNewsMedia Reporter
THE OGUN State government has dismissed as deliberate misinformation a report alleging that it stopped an ongoing federal road project along Paddy-Arikawe Oye Igbimo Road to settle political scores with the facilitator of the project.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, the government stated that the contractor, Minim and Tonye Nigeria Limited, was only directed to follow due process and obtain clearance before commencing work, as the road in question is classified as a state road.
The statement explained that the government discovered the contractor already working on the road, which had earlier been listed for repairs by Governor Abiodun.
It said the contractor was asked to apply for permission and clearly state the scope of work to enable the government removes the road from its repair schedule.
The government further challenged those it described as authors of false news reports to point out anything legally wrong in the letter issued by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Engr. Dr. Yusuf L.O., directing the contractor to suspend operations until proper authorisation was obtained.
According to the statement, no construction or repair work on a road can be undertaken without official approval, adding that the same procedure applies when state governments seek to work on federal roads. It said Ogun State itself had in the past been unable to intervene in federal road repairs because approval was not granted.
“Nigerians will recall that for a long time, the Ogun State Government could not carry out any repair works on federal roads like the Abeokuta-Sango Ota Road because the then Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola, refused to give the state permission,” the statement read.
“In their utter ignorance, the authors of the fake news claimed that the Federal Government had approved the construction of a road belonging to Ogun State.
“If not for outright mischief carried out on behalf of their drowning principal, how can anyone equate asking a contractor to obtain necessary approval before working on a state road to stopping the project because of alleged political hostility?
How do you work on a state road, indeed any road, without obtaining the necessary approval?, he asked.”
The statement also drew attention to a formal request made by a former federal lawmaker, Hon. Adewunmi Onanuga, who on February 1, 2025, wrote to the state government seeking permission to commence construction on four rural roads, including Sokanmade Road in Ewuga, Oko and Ada Road in Simawa, Ita Maro to Ilara Road, and Alhaja Ogunsanya Street in Irolu, among others.
According to Ogun government, this was the proper channel for securing approval, underscoring the importance of following due process before undertaking any construction project within the state.
