Terminals to be sustained through PPP – MAKINDE

Seyi MAKINDE, has reiterated the commitment of his administration to redefining good governance in Oyo state. He stated this on Tuesday at the commissioning of bus terminals at challenge and Ojoo areas of Ibadan.

He added that the commissioning of the terminals marks a new dawn in the transportation sector of the state adding that his administration will continue to raise the bar of good governance.

He added that the bus terminals will be sustained through Public Private Partnership PPP adding that the project will not go moribund.

In his words: “Today is an exciting day and I am delighted to be here, joined by my brother, the governor of Edo State, H.E Godwin Obaseki, I want to especially thank His Excellency for journeying down from Edo state to be with us on this day as we commission two of the four bus terminals we embarked on building about two years ago. One of the things we knew Ibadan needed when we came into office was an effective transportation system.

I remember how we went round and spoke to you, the good people of Oyo state, in 2019, just after we came into office. We made a case for having to demolish some buildings around here and I thank you for listening to us then. We could not have accomplished any of these things without your support, so, let me stop and say thank you, my people, e seun, adupe.

Thank you for keying into this vision, of course, not everyone was seeing the big picture as we were. In fact, some people said the project was a misplaced priority and they created list of other projects that they thought we should have prioritized. Well we knew better because in our quest to engineer a modern Oyo state, we always rely on data, science and logic. The data showed that it was time to build a modern alternative to the existing transport system in Oyo state.

Oyo state receives heavy traffic from all over the country. By virtue of its location, Ibadan has always been that town where travelers can layover either on their way out of the south west or into the southwest. The data said it was time to build on that comparative advantage. Science supported the data; Oyo state has traditionally been a nodal region and that geographical fact was not going to change. If anything, the growth in the population of Nigeria was going to further support the need to turn our comparative advantage into a competitive advantage. And when science and data align, logic always follows.

We knew that we needed funds to carry out some of the other projects we were embarking on, federal allocations have been dwindling over the years. We needed a reliable ways to ensure that the state’s internally generated revenue remained stable and grew enough to support further development. So we invested in projects that could yield returns into the state coffers, such as Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, the ongoing Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub, and these Bus Terminals, which we are commissioning today. These terminals are not just about boarding buses. What we have done here is to build a standard bus terminal as can be obtained anywhere in the world.

This is why it comes equipped with amenities that will support economic activities and tourism. We are building a legacy. At this point, the question some people will be asking is, how will it run? Who will be in charge? We hope it will not turn out like other government projects that will become moribund in no time. Well, we have taken some steps to ensure that this will not be the case. So, we are going the public private partnership route in a sustainable manner.

The commissioning of these two bus terminals at Challenge and Ojoo marks a new dawn in transport systems in Oyo state. We are committed to redefining good governance in Oyo state. With each project we commission, we continue to raise the bar.

Yes, some people say this is the bare minimum, but if we can ensure that going forward, the good people of Oyo state reject anything less, then we can rightly say “our job here is done”. And on this note, I will yield the podium to my brother, the Executive Governor of Edo State, His Excellency Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki. After which we will commission the Ojoo Bus Terminal and inaugurate Omituntun Mass Transit Buses. And then, take the maiden bus ride to Challenge and also commission the modern terminal at Challenge to the glory of God and the benefits of the good people of Oyo state. Thank you, and God bless you.

Governor Obaseki did the official commissioning of the projects, he lauded Makinde’s efforts for re-engineering a modern Oyo state. He added that there is hope for Nigerians when people like Makinde are in the corridor of power.

Obaseki also inaugurated omituntun mass transit buses.

Pictures from the event

Ojoo Bus Terminal

Challenge Bus Terminal