OGUN TO BUILD EDUCATION, MEDICAL CITIES ALONG IJEBU-ODE- EPE EXPRESSWAY

  OGUN TO BUILD EDUCATION, MEDICAL CITIES ALONG IJEBU-ODE- EPE EXPRESSWAY

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has disclosed that plans are in top gear to build modern Education and Medical Cities along the Ijebu-Ode-Epe Expressway to tap from the potentials available in the axis.

Prince Abiodun who made this known in his office while playing host to the National President of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP) and other members of the Association who were in the State for the 52nd National Conference and Annual General meeting of the Institute, said planning for the proposed designated cities is already in place.

"On that Ijebu-Ode-Epe Road, we have new cities planned, we have the Education City, Automotive City, you know we have the Medical City, these are purposed designed cities and the planning for those cities are already in place, we are running gas pipelines, we are running fibre optics on that road, so, these are going to be resilient, modern and clean cities that will be very organised because there is future planning,” he said.

Disclosing that the decision to embark on the construction of the Expressway was not by accident, the Governor added that steps were taken based on the advice by relevant agencies on the need to have alternative roads to evacuate people from Lagos State to the hinterland.

"We decided to build the Lagos-Ijebu-Ode Road which goes through Epe to Ijebu-Ode, but it was not an accident, it was not a decision that we took politically, it was a decision we had to take after being informed by various ministries and relevant agencies of the need to begin to look at alternative roads to evacuate people from Lagos to the hinterland.

"And if indeed we want to correct the anomalies that occurred in the past, we had to take the bull by the horn. We decided to start with Epe-Ijebu-Ode Road because it is an evacuation road for people that would hitherto come from Lagos-Ibadan Road and then make a detour to the Sagamu-Benin Expressway. That road now bypasses Lagos-Ibadan and you can go through Lekki and go to Benin City," he said.

Prince Abiodun reiterated that his administration would give Abeokuta a new look to enable it occupy a pride of place in the comity of capital cities, adding that government would also look at the entire Mowe-Ibafo corridor to see how the planning of the area could be corrected.

The State helmsman also revealed that his administration changed the name of the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in order to further boost the Regeneration Programme of his administration, saying that the change was important towards ensuring that the State is not only better planned, but well equipped for efficient planning.

Governor Abiodun further explained that the erstwhile Urban and Regional Planning Board was replaced with the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority, the Ogun State Slum Regeneration Authority and the Ogun State Building Production and Management Authority, just as necessary legislation to back up the restructuring plan had been carried out.

Earlier in his remarks, the National President of the Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP); TPL Toyin Ayinde, submitted that it was important to bring to the knowledge of Nigerians, the need to understand the importance of town planning, noting that planning was an important aspect of good governance.

Ayinde commended the Abiodun led-administration for its giant stride in education, health, agriculture and infrastructure and other critical sectors, urging him to look into the 2005 Urban and Physical Planning law with a view to reviewing it, as it would help government to see all settlements in the State and know how they are positioned.