Ogun confirms halting Daniel’s constituency road project

The Ogun State Government, on Thursday, confirmed ordering the contractor handling the construction of Paddy Arikawe Oye Igbimo road, in Sagamu GRA, Minim and Tonye Nigeria Limited, to stop work for failing to obtain the requisite approvals and permits before embarking on it.

The road project is said to be one of the constituency projects facilitated by the former governor and senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel.

A viral letter signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Dr Lateef Yusuf, on behalf of the commissioner, Ade Akinsanya, and dated September 17, 2025, conveyed the stop-work order for the contractor.

The letter reads: “I have the directive to inform your company to stop work on the Paddy-Arikawe Oye Igbimo Road, Sagamu.

“This is based on the fact that the necessary permit/clearance was not obtained from the state government by your client before the commencement of the road project.

“This action negates the normal due process which ought to be followed before commencing work on a state government road.

“You need to seek the government approval before work can commence. Nevertheless, this is one of the projects being considered for reconstruction by the state government in the Sagamu Local Government.

“You are, therefore, advised to stop work and follow the necessary approval process.”

Speaking with our correspondent, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, dismissed the insinuation that the stop-work order was another fruit of the politics of bitterness and the seemingly not too cordial relationship between Governor Dapo Abiodun and the senator.

Akinmade said, “This has nothing to do with politics but rather about doing what is right.

“Even when a state government wants to carry out any intervention on a federal road, the state government will first of all get the approval of the Federal Government before moving to the site.

“This is what happened between the Ogun State Government and the Federal Government on Abeokuta-Ota-Lagos road, and until President Bola Tinubu gave the approval, the state could not do anything, no matter how hard it tried under the past government.”

He explained further that the same thing was applicable to anyone who also wanted to embark on any intervention on state government facilities.

Akinmade said such an individual must submit necessary documents for government approval, so that the government would be appropriately briefed and know the scope of such projects.

He stated, “For instance, when the late federal lawmaker representing Remo Federal Constituency, Adewunmi Onanuga, wanted to embark on some rural roads intervention before her demise, she submitted necessary documents to the government for approval.

“She is of the same party with the governor, yet she followed the laid down rules, so why can’t the senator also do the same?

“So, this is not about politics; it is about doing the right thing. People must stop reading politics into every good intention of the government.

“The government also stated in the letter that this same road had been shortlisted for reconstruction.”

The media aide to Senator Daniel, Steve Oliyide, however, condemned the government, describing the stop-work order as counter-productive and premeditated acts to deny the people of the state from enjoying the fruits of good governance under President Tinubu.

Oliyide alleged that this was not the first time the state government would be interfering with or stopping the execution of road projects facilitated by Senator Daniel in the senatorial district.

“This is not the first project the state government has stopped. The Sagamu Aiyepe road already has a budgetary approval, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, and no sooner than the contractors were mobilised to the site than the Ogun State government moved in.

“The same thing happened with the Gateway Hotel and road in Ijebu Ode when the Federal Government contractor was chased out of the location, the signboard removed, and the Ogun State government rolled out a caterpillar as if they wanted to do it.

“When the FG contractor left, the Ogun State government also left the road abandoned and unattended. This is denying the people of Ogun East Senatorial District the benefits of Federal Government interventions, and it is sad.

“If the state government continues like this, they are just deliberately sabotaging the efforts of President Tinubu towards impacting the lives of the people positively.

“It is a sabotage of the Federal Government’s efforts and an attempt to portray the President in a bad light before the people,” he said.(Punch)