By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Thursday inaugurated the 3.6-kilometre Odo-Ori–Oja Oba–Post Office dual carriageway in Iwo, describing the project as a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to transforming the ancient town and promoting urban development across the state.
The governor said the road, the first dual carriageway in Iwo, would open up the town for greater economic growth and development.
Speaking at the inauguration, Adeleke noted that Iwo had suffered years of neglect, adding that his administration was determined to change the narrative through deliberate investments in infrastructure.
“In the past, Iwo suffered neglect. The people were abandoned by many past leaders,” he said.
“Our administration has changed that story. We have opened up the city for genuine development. When we announced this dualisation project, some people doubted our sincerity and thought it was mere politics. Today, we have fulfilled that promise.
“Iwo City Centre and the Palace Square have been redesigned and reconstructed, while this multi-faceted dualisation project has now been completed to the glory of God and for the benefit of the people.”
Adeleke also accused the opposition of attempting to frustrate his administration’s development agenda through what he described as the unlawful withholding of local government funds.
According to him, despite the challenges, his government has continued to execute major infrastructure projects across the state.
“The opposition was surprised by our commitment to the development of Iwo and other towns in Osun State. That was why they engineered the local government crisis in an attempt to financially strangulate the government,” he said.
“Despite these anti-development actions, we have completed several major projects in Iwo, Ila-Orangun, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Osogbo, Ede and many other communities across the state. We have broken the cycle of underdevelopment.”
The governor stated that the primary objective of his administration is to accelerate development through projects and programmes that improve the lives of residents.
“Our goal is to fast-track Osun’s development through life-changing projects and programmes based on fairness, shared prosperity and improved living standards for all citizens,” he added.
Adeleke further pledged to continue the transformation of Iwo and other parts of the state, expressing readiness to commence the second phase of the road project if re-elected.
“We remain committed to taking this vision further. We are determined to begin the second phase of this project and deliver more developmental initiatives for the people of Osun State,” he said.
The newly inaugurated road is expected to improve traffic flow, enhance commercial activities and support urban renewal efforts in Iwo and its surrounding communities.