Mimiko broke jinx, flags off Ikare-Akoko-Ajowa Road
Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, on Wednesday broke a 30-year old jinx
as he flagged off the long abandoned Ikare- Akoko-Ajowa road at a whopping cost of N4.8 billion. Similarly, Mimiko commissioned the largest market in the state, the Ikare Regional market, built at a cost of N210 million.
The two key projects were part of the activities marking his administration's second anniversary as his spate of projects commissioning took his train to Akoko in the Northern Senatorial District of the state.
The Ikare-Ajowa road is an all important road that links the state with Kogi and other northern states; and has been abandoned for ages.
While flagging off the 29.40 km road project, Mimiko told the people of Akoko that the project is expected to be completed within 27 dry months.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mimiko lamented the politics played with the road by the former government of Dr Olusegun Agagu which he regretted caused the delay in the completion of the road.
His words: “The immediate past administration was not able to finish this project for reasons best known to them. Many of the roads inherited from the past administration have been completed while many are ongoing and the award of many more is in the pipeline. There is no gainsaying that this administration has made giant strides in the area of infrastructural development especially in road construction and rehabilitation
“This road is a major inter-state link road that links Ondo to Kogi State and connects towns and villages along the road corridor to major city centres in the state and therefore requires upgrading and reconstruction to be able to achieve the purpose” he said.
At the Ikare Regional Market, which was built in record time to provide conducive atmosphere for traders and market women, the governor explained that it was conceived to abate the spate of accidents involving traders whose presence on the roads obstructs traffic and pose risks of falling victims of auto crashes.
“It is our hope that once this new market is put to use, the incidence of wanton destruction of lives and properties along the market corridor will become a thing of the past. Our policy on modern market development as a poverty reduction strategy is driven by our consciousness that a large population of our people, especially women
and youths, engage in buying and selling in market places as a means of income generation.
“The development of Ikare Regional Market is our way of encouraging and supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of the people and also to rekindle the historical commercial predominance the city had enjoyed in this region over the years” Mimiko asserted.
The market has amongst others, 843 Stalls, made up of luxury shops, 300 lock up shops, 8 big warehouses, 12 mini- warehouses, 500 open stalls toilets, Administrative blocks, fire Station, security post, 24-hour electricity, clinic, loading bay, sorting bay and ample parking spaces amongst others.