Senate Summon Umahi Over Abandoned Oyo-Ogbomoso Road

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Senate has summoned the Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, to appear before it to explain the abandonment of a portion of the Oyo-Ogbomoso Road.

The upper chamber of the National Assembly asked the Barinada Mpigi-led Committee on Works to immediately summon the Minister to unravel the circumstances that led to the abandonment of the said project by its contractor.

Lawmakers also urged the federal government to urgently direct the relevant authorities to complete the rehabilitation of the old Oyo-Ogbomoso Road to forestall further negative occurrences on the road.

These resolutions are sequel to a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aviation, Mr Abdulfatai Buhari.

“Senate notes that in the last month, the people of Ogbomoso land have been plunged into an unprecedented crisis, occasioned by a tragic petrol tanker accident that occurred on the road, which resulted in traffic gridlock, rendered some inhabitants of the area homeless, paralysed economic activities as well as claimed some innocent lives,” he said.

“It further worries that this road, which is less than 500 meters long, has become a deathtrap, responsible for numerous accidents in recent times, as over ten accidents have occurred within just a few days, leading to loss of lives, injuries, and devastating impacts on businesses, whereby perishable goods from the north have been ruined, and shipments from ports and companies, amounting to millions of Naira, left stranded.”

The Oyo-Ogbomosho highway has been under construction for over a decade with the deteriorating condition of the old road which has been made virtually unmotorable by articulated vehicles.

Business Post reports that the Oyo-Ogbomosho expressway which connects the Ilorin-Ogbomosho expressway is about 65 kilometres and is the link between the North and the South. Most trucks originating from Lagos to the northern parts of Nigeria including Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Kebbi down to the north-eastern states pass through Oyo-Ogbomosho.

However, the dilapidated state of the road has created worries for motorists and travellers who have to spend hours to get through the road, some travellers have to navigate inner parts of the state to be able to access the much improved Ilorin-Ogbomosho expressway.