Subsidy Removal: Gov Makinde Rolls Out Palliatives For Oyo Residents

.Flags off dualisation of 8.3km Akobo-Ojurin-Odogbo Barracks Road

Governor Seyi Makinde on Friday, announced palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal on the citizens of Oyo State

The governor made the announcement while speaking at the flagging off of the dualisation of the 8.3km Akobo-Ojurin-Odogbo Barracks-Olorunda-Abaa junction Road.

He stressed that the palliatives became necessary in view of the fact that things are getting harder because the subsidy on PMS has been removed

“We know that things are getting harder because the subsidy on PMS has been removed and this has made transportation cost increase further. Well, I have already set up a committee to look into what we can do about increasing civil servants’ salaries but I know that everyone in Oyo State is not a civil servant”, he said.

Gov Makinde added, ” So, we have decided to deploy more Omituntun buses to ease the transportation worries. I have also directed that there should be no increase in the fare paid on these buses”.

“Also, school children and our senior citizens will board these buses at half-price. We will continue to look into other ways of easing the burdens.”

Speaking on the road project, the Governor said the “road is vital to the people of Lagelu Local Government Area as it connects Akobo to Olorunda Abaa and it will bring development to this axis.”

“We are here today for the flag-off of the dualization of the 8.3km Akobo-Ojurin-Odogbo Barracks-Olorunda-Abaa junction Road. This road is vital to the people of Lagelu Local Government Area as it connects Akobo to Olorunda Abaa and it will bring development to this axis.”

He emphasized that the flag off of the road was the fulfillment of a promise he made to the people of the area during his campaign”, saying, “Today, we are keeping our promise by flagging off the construction. You can see that the work has already started.

” The equipment is here and the contractor has promised that it will be completed in 12 months. From today, we are counting 12 months. We have paid 30 per cent to the contractor and we expect that the work will progress.

“I had wanted to just fix the road as a single lane but I know that with the rate at which this axis is developing, dualizing the road is the best. So, that was how we decided to bite the bullet and dualize it once and for all.”

The Governor then solicited the cooperation of the people of the community since the dualisation of the road would necessarily result in some houses having to give way to the road.

Promising that compensation to affected people would be prompt, the governor later named the road after Chief Nyesom Wike, immediate past Governor of Rivers State..

Source: New Nigerian