22 Jan 2020 Oyo Will Take Full Advantage Of Lagos-Ibadan Rail Project, Says Makinde

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that the State will take full advantage of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan rail project when it becomes fully functional.

Makinde, who stated this at the end of an inspection tour of the rail project, which he embarked upon alongside the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki and other Federal and State Government officials, said that Oyo State would put everything in place in terms of infrastructure to ensure that the residents derive the full benefits from the project.

He noted that when completed, the Lagos-Ibadan rail project would bring lots of benefits in the areas of employment and other aspects of the economy to Oyo State, adding that his administration would harvest the benefits for the good of the State.

He said: “I can say that so far, so good, work is going on and a lot of efforts are being put into it. A lot has been achieved so far and a lot of things still needed to be done. But for me personally, it is a wake-up call for us in Oyo State because the track is already here and we need to brace up ourselves with what we have to do as a State Government so that the handshake can be seamless and the benefits can come to our people.

“Concerning the benefits it will give to the people of Oyo State, it will bring people closer here. People will start spending money in Ibadan, staying in our hotels. You can actually do your work in Lagos and come back and sleep in Ibadan. So, we know what we really have to do to decongest Lagos and harvest people so that we can improve our own economy and set a target to get out of Lagos’s shadow.”

He said that the State would need to construct a road to link the rail line and also ensure proper security of lives and property around the facility.

“In the areas of employment, some companies may decide to come and set up in Ibadan. Even socially, people who want to come to Ibadan and Oyo State for socio-activities are now free due to the nature of the road,” the Governor further said.