The Federal Government has called on the Oyo State Government to stop issuing approvals for the constructions of buildings and other structures on the right of way of the Oyo–Ogbomosho highway.
The Director of Highways, Federal Ministry of Works, Mr Funsho Adebiyi, made the appeal on Saturday, after an inspection tour of the 53-kilometre dual carriageway which is under construction.
Adebiyi lamented that structures not approved by the Federal Government were built on the highway that had no building at the initial stage of designing the road.
“But as soon as the work started, structures started emerging on the road’s right of way and they are now asking us for compensation. That is not right.
“The state government should please have mercy on us and stop approving structures on our right of ways, where they know our men are working because it is creating problems for us. Also, the state government should stop giving approval for illegal mining along our alignment,” he said. Adebiyi also noted that sand mining activities in the area had made earth-work difficult on the road.
“What we could have used as earth-work had been mined off and we were forced to bring in materials from another borrowed pit to fill the already mined alignment.
“So, the cost of haulage is increasing the cost of our construction work,” he added.
The road, being handled by Reynolds Construction Company, is the second section of Ibadan-Ilorin road and is a subsection of a major trunk A1 road which originated from Apapa Wharf in Lagos and terminated in Sokoto State, the News Agency of Nigeria reported on Saturday.
