Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Ogun State Government has approved additional road projects in the Ota axis and appealed to residents to disregard what it described as political blackmail aimed at misleading the public.
The assurance was given during a meeting between the government and the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ota Branch, who visited the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN).
Speaking for the government, Ogungbade said that six major roads in Ota-Joju, Koro Otun, Navy, Isikola, Ilo Awela and Oju Ore-have already been awarded to construction company Craneburg, with mobilisation to site expected soon.
He added that other road projects in the area had been divided into phases to fast-track the work.
According to him, “The Itele–Ayobo link road, the Ayobo Mopol–Lafenwa Junction boundary road, the Koro Otun phase and the Itele–Lafenwa Junction have all been segmented. Work on the first two phases will begin immediately.”
He acknowledged the concerns raised during the NBA Ota Branch’s peaceful protest on 25 October 2025, assuring the delegation that their demands were receiving attention.
He also encouraged them to use their access to government channels for faster engagement, noting that the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun had already constructed or rehabilitated more than 1,500 kilometres of roads across the state.
The government team which included the Solicitor-General, Mr. Olusegun Olaotan; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Engr. Oladimeji Yusuf; and Special Adviser on Media, Hon. Kayode Akinmade explained that many of the roads generating public outcry were federal roads.
They said repairs were delayed in previous years because the Federal Government had stopped the state from intervening.
“It was only after President Bola Tinubu gave approval that rehabilitation could begin,” Akinmade noted.
Akinmade commended the NBA for constructive engagement but warned them against political actors trying to exploit the situation.
“Some people are hiring individuals to exaggerate bad roads just to attack the government, even when those roads are federal,” he said.
He urged residents to be wary of those turning genuine concerns into political blackmail.
Earlier, the NBA Ota Chairperson, Chief Mrs. Kelubia K. Ajose, and a senior member of the Branch, Mr. Sola Ojutalayo (SAN), said the protest reflected the frustration of Ota residents.
They also explained that the Bar had taken steps to ensure no external group hijacked its initiative.
The government reaffirmed that it remains open to dialogue and disclosed that eleven new road projects were approved in November 2025.
It assured residents that while disruptions may continue for now, lasting improvements to Ota’s road network are already underway.
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