Ogbomoso – Oyo expressway: Anxiety as Octogenarian refuses to vacate house as demolition gets underway
Jeremiah OYELEKE
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An Octogenarian at Orisun Iye Baptist Church area, Olomi, Ogbomoso, has vowed not to vacate his storey building though it’s marked as one of the buildings to be pulled down to make way for the new Ogbomoso – Oyo highway, whose construction recently re-commenced.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com spoke with the Octogenarian simply identified as Baba Davcom or Baba Davrem on Monday and he insisted he would remain in the building, which he said he had lived in for decades, until the house is pulled down.
“As at now l don’t know whether they would demolish my house or not though they put a mark in it. But l will remain here until whatever will happen will happen. Let’s see what will happen,” he said.
It’s observed several other house owners were removing their roofs and other removable items to avoid total loss but Baba Davcom, who once was popular for his medicine store at Akunko area, has refused to panick (at least outwardly). ‘We will see,’ he continued to remark, as he informed the road had been proposed for over 60 years.
Recall the contract for the road project, Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin dual carriageway, was awarded in 2001 during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, and while the Ogbomoso – Ilorin and Oyo – Ibadan sections had been completed and opened for use over 15 years ago, that of Ogbomoso – Oyo section remains uncompleted. It’s recently that the contract was re-awarded to JRB Construction Company Ltd. Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) Ltd previously handled the project but had the contract terminated over what the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, described as non-performance.
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It remains about 7km to link the two ends of the road in the Ogbomoso metropolis, Federal Government College and Arinkinkin. Interestingly, clearing began simultaneously at the two ends raising hopes the project would speedily be executed.
At the Federal Government College end visited Monday by Ogbomoso Insight, marking of the road’s widths has commenced while clearing had proceeded over two kilometres.
“We are just doing clearing, construction is underway, you are yet to see anything, real construction is coming,” a workman at the site casually said.
