The Oyo State Government approved the contract for the construction of a Magistrate Court and a Police Station at the Olomi Correctional Centre in Ibadan on Tuesday.

The projects funded by the Alternative Project Funding Approach (APFA) are expected to be completed in six months.

The State Executive Council, which approved the project, also authorized the renovation of the Simeon Adebo Staff Development Centre at the Secretariat in Ibadan.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, the Federal Government proposed relocating the Agodi Correctional Centre to Olomi in Ibadan, and the state government decided to build the Magistrate Court around the Olomi Correctional Centre to improve justice delivery in the state.

According to the statement, by constructing the Court, the state government resolved to key into the security architecture designed by the federal government and strengthen the judicial system.

According to the statement, the State’s Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure, and Transport, Prof. Daud Sangodoyin, and the Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Hon Siju Lawal, briefed reporters shortly after the State executive council meeting, which was held at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

“The Council considered the construction of the Magistrate Court and Police Station at Olomi Correctional Centre in Ibadan,” Prof. Sangodoyin said. Remember how the Federal Government proposed relocating Agodi to Olomi? And we considered the move in order for our state to be a part of the security architecture and strengthen the judicial system. This will make it easier to deliver justice in Oyo State.

“So, today, we approved the reconstruction of the magistrate court and police station at the cost of ₦456,979,164:28K to Messrs Dunton Ltd. It will go for a duration of six months through APFA. We have a two-month moratorium after which we will pay the contractor for a year, beginning from February 2023 to January 2024.” Prof. Sangodoyin stated.

Similarly, Hon. Siju Lawal, Commissioner for Establishment and Training, announced that the executive council had also approved the renovation of the Simeon Adebo Staff Development Centre, a formal training school in the old Western state that had been abandoned for many years.

“Today, we unanimously approved the general renovation of Simeon Adebo Staff Development Centre, a formal training school in the old Western state,” he said. For many years, it had been abandoned and neglected, but the renovation was approved.

“After the renovation, we believe it will compete favourably well with its counterparts in the whole of the federation. The project will cost a sum of N121, 48,978,83k and was awarded to All-time Nigeria Ltd with a duration of 12 weeks. Thirty per cent payment has also been approved to fast-track the completion of the project.”

Furthermore, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, told reporters that the Council meeting discussed the government’s efforts to combat kidnapping along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway and other areas.

“At the meeting, we discussed the state government’s efforts to curb the menace of kidnapping along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway and other areas,” he said.

“We are also putting in place a water-tight security to ensure that people in the state can sleep with their eyes closed.

“The other one is the issue of promotion of workers. We observed that some officers who are supposed to be promoted were denied due to systematic error. “We discovered that 1,629 were affected by this error. As a result, they were not considered for promotion, which falls within 2017 and 2020.

“So, the Council graciously approved that the officers involved be allowed to get their promotions unhindered.”

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