The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has come under heavy criticism for criticising the Muhammadu Buhari Federal government for not incorporating construction of Access Roads to train stations while building the railway lines.
It would be recalled that the state Governor, had during a special church service to usher in the 2024/2025 Legal Year held at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter, Ake, Abeokuta, expressed concern why the access road to the train station was not built by the Federal Government.
He said: “We don’t understand why a train station is built without an access road as part of that project conception. Today, we have built a world-class airport in Remo; can you imagine that we built that airport without considering the access road to that airport?
“There are other existing roads to that airport. However, we have begun the construction of an access road that tees off the Sagamu-Benin Expressway. If you are coming to that airport, you don’t need to go through Ilisan or Iperu; you make a left turn straight to the airport. This is what a project from inception should look like.
“In this instance, this train station was conceived, built, and completed without an access road being part of the project.
“As a responsible governor and government, we have taken it upon ourselves to award the contract for the road leading to that train station, and that contract is currently ongoing. However, the construction of two big box culverts that will channel stormwater away from the road has been completed.
“Earthwork and drainage will start. I will, however, personally urge the contractor to ensure he finishes on record time”.
Those who spoke anonymously to Transport Day, criticised the state Governor for his comments, pointing out that the Kaduna and Oyo State governments built access roads to the Rigasa and Moniya train stations respectively without complaining.
In 2018, the administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai completed the construction of the link road from Kaduna airport and Rigasa train station.
In a post by the then Governor on his X handle, he stated that “The five Kilometre link road between the Rigasa Train Station and the Kaduna International Airport has been completed.
“The Kaduna State Government is Constructing a total of 20 Kilometres Township Roads in Rigasa”.
Similarly, the 110 kilometres Ibadan Circular Road, as constructed by Oyo state government, which consists carriageways, eight lanes, seven bridges, five interchanges and 29 box culverts, was designed to cover the Moniya Train Station link road and the Oluyole Free Trade Zone.
