The minister of Works, Engr David Umahi, has directed the ministry to redesign and fix all dilapidated roads stretching along the University of Ibadan (UI), Ife and Ogbomosho axis, saying the ministry is taking bold steps to intervene and concentrate on handling major roads that need urgent and serious attention.
The minister who stressed the need to consolidate efforts on a bigger road infrastructure project in the Southwest, noted that the magnitude of road construction he is handling in the Northwest zone is three times bigger than what he is building in the Southwest.
Umahi further affirmed that the roads spanning across the University of Ibadan are in bad condition even as he urged the controller of works and contractors to synergise with the university to onboard a new redesign of asphalt or concrete reinforcement roads.
The minister said, “What we have seen here is very discouraging. I think we should do more for our universities than creating new ones. The infrastructure; the houses, they need very serious attention. And there are no routes to the university. So, what we have directed is to give us the layout of the entire route and then put priorities 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.”
Umahi assured that the ministry would intervene to redesign all the roads, adding that, “We are going to use concrete roads to intervene. And we are going to also put solar lights along any of the roads we are going to be building. We may also incorporate CCTV within the solar lights so that the vice-chancellor can channel it to a point where they can view all the roads we are going to be constructing.”
He further revealed that the rehabilitation of the roads stretching along the University of Ibadan will lead the ministry to boldly intervene on road projects in the University of Ife.
“We will take a study tour of the University of Ife and the University of Nsukka. We would like to do this. The roads are so bad. That’s just the summary of it. And we need attention as much as we can. But definitely something will be done.
“We are going to change the project to concrete because I am sure that areas it has covered would have even failed. But I want to see it with my own eyes and take a decision about that. The Ife-Akure-Benin was awarded to be rehabilitated on concrete roads, the same standard of the coastal highway,” he said.
The vice-chancellor of the university, Prof Kayode Adebowale, said, “It is a privilege to welcome you to the premier university of this nation. This university started very small in 1948 and it did not start by fiat; it started by commission reports.
“The Elliot Commission reports in the former British West Africa stated that there should be three universities. One in Ibadan, what we call University College Ibadan. And then one in Ghana; what we call University of Ghana-Legon and the third one is Forabe College.”
