Osun Gets World Bank Commendation On Infrastructural Development
By Sakirat Adeyemo
State Government of Osun has been commended by the World Bank for its unprecedented track record in infrastructural development.
The World Bank together with the Federal Government of Nigeria specifically ranked the state as the best performing state among the participating states in the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) in Nigeria.
The Osun (RAMP) project is an assisted Project by the World Bank and the Federal Government being implemented in phases in which Osun has completed the first phase of 225 Kilometers of Rural roads, as well as rural bridges and crossings to link up the rural communities across the length and breadth of the state while the implementation of the second phase, covering about 315 kilometers of Rural roads is now at advanced stage.
The World Bank Representatives and Federal Project Monitoring Unit (F.P.M.U) of National RAMP were in the state for the past few days to monitor and ascertain the level of implementation and the quality of job done so far, as well as the impact of the project and maintenance mechanism put in place for the project in the state.
Speaking at a meeting with Governor Gboyega Oyetola after the team’s project inspection tour, the World Bank Task team leader, Engineer Tunji Ahmed and the National coordinator for RAMP project, Engineer Ubandoma Ularamu said with the level of implementation of the project met in the state, Osun stands in a very good position for others to emulate.
They declared that, the maintenance mechanism put in place for the RAMP project by the state is a sustainable one, adding that it is a good model for other participating states to adopt.
Engineer Ularamu in his submission said the way and pace in which Osun is going with the commitment and proper implementation of the project, it would pave way to have additional financing.
“Osun has already completed the first phase of 225 kilometers of rural roads with additional 315 kilometers, Osun will be having more than 500 kilometers of Rural roads through the project.
“If the additional financing is granted and provided to Osun, the state will be able to have additional roads that will make it more than 1000 kilometers of rural roads.
“With Osun model on the maintenance of the project, this will make it one of the best projects that Nigeria will be proud of.
“Osun has been doing a wonderful job on the project and others can borrow a leaf from the state”, Engineer Ularamu said.
In his own view, the World Bank Task team leader Engineer Tunji Ahmed attributed the good performance of the state in the implementation of the RAMP project to the total commitment by the state through the timely payment and release of counterpart funds, making the project to pass through a normal due process and also by giving the state project implementation unit (S.P.I.U) a desired attention.
“Osun has been the best performing state on the project and it is not by accident but by hard work and total commitment”, he stated.
Engineer Ahmed who commended the state for a robust security architecture put in place however called the attention of state government to some security challenges facing contractorson some of the projects.
Addressing the visiting team, the State Governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola who was represented by his Deputy, Mr Benedict Alabi assured the team that the state would strive to complement its good performance on RAMP project especially in the area of maintenance.
He emphasised the importance of good road network to the economic activities of people.
Governor Oyetola said if there is good roads network, apart from easing movement of people and goods including farm produce, it would contribute in no small way to revive agriculture in those rural communities.
“The state of Osun is seriously committed to the RAMP project in the interest of agriculture and the rural dwellers as the state isan agrarian state”, he stated.
