Motorists and residents in Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states have appealed to the states and federal government to swiftly fix deplorable roads ahead of the Christmas and new year celebrations.
Some of the respondents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo, Akure and Ado-Ekiti, said that some federal and state roads in terrible conditions were cause for concern.
They said that some of the deplorable roads were the causes of fatalities and unnecessary loss of lives and also points were kidnappers strike to perpetrate their evil.
They specifically mentioned some federal roads needing attention in the three states to include Sekona- Gbongan road, Wasimi-Asejire-Ibadan road, Ado Ekiti-Akure road and Akure-Benin Road.
Others are Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road, the Omuo-Ilasa-Ayedun-Ikole Road, and the Ado-Ijan-Agbado Road in Ekiti.
Also begging for attention are Ado- Ekiti-Ifaki road, Oye Ekiti-Ikole-Omuo road.
Mr Dauda Amusan, a commercial driver in Osun, urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in the state to urgently fix Sekona road before the yuletide period.
Amusan said that motorist have a terrible time on the road to connect to the expressway
He said that the deplorable condition of the road has started causing traffic hold-up, whereby drivers have to wait for each other to pass.
Another driver, Yekini Arowojobe, said some section of Gongan-Asejire-Ibadan road also needed urgent government attention.
Arowojobe said that as the yuletide period was approaching, volume of traffic would increase on the highway and therefore government needed to take proactive measures to fix the road.
” We are very worried regarding the state of some of these important federal roads in Ekiti state, because their condition, continue to pose threats to lives on daily basis”, another concerned resident, Mrs Bunmi Ogunseye said.
A businessman, and regular traveller, Jude Nwachukwu, said apart from accidents, passengers are made to pay high fares, because motorists claim they spend more money to maintain their vehicles, due to the state of the roads.
” The condition of these roads have provided opportunity for criminals, who take advantage of the bad portions, to lay ambush for vehicles and kidnap their occupants”, he said.
A commercial driver, Friday Onoche, described the Ado Ekiti-Akure road, as one of the worst in the country, alleging that government, appeared unconcerned with the development.
He claimed that he and his colleagues, spend a fortune, on monthly basis, to maintain their vehicles, because of the poor federal road networks.
Mr Pascal Afolabi, a civil engineer, said that the use of substandard materials for road construction could hasten deterioration of roads faster.
Afolabi, whose company is currently handling Olaiya flyover in Osogbo, said that most of the bad roads in the country could be attributed to poor maintenance culture.
He called for the use of standard and approved construction materials in order to ensure longevity of roads in Nigeria.
However, the Minister for Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, on the sideline of a visit to Akure, on Thursday, told NAN that the ministry was not sleeping , but was working assiduously to make roads across the country motorable.
Umahi said that Controllers of Works in all states of the federation have been instructed to give reports of the status of federal roads in their respective states to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
“ We will do everything possible to ensure that by this coming Christmas, all federal highways within the limit of our thinking outside the box are made motorable.
“ We have directed controllers to give us the status of roads in the states and any controller that fails to do that the permanent secretary knows what to do.
“ We have asked contractors handling two newly awarded roads in this state (Ondo State) to go and start work. I have called them. If they don’t start by Monday, we will terminate the contracts.
“ It is not a business like before. We have terminated over 10 contracts and we are bold to terminate more if the work is not done,” he said.
Also, the Ondo State House of Assembly’s Majority Leader, Mr Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, said that the legislative would work closely with the executive to ensure that all on-going projects in the state were completed within their stipulated time frame.
Ogunmolasuyi, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, said that a number of road projects were flagged off by Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu, before his demise.
He added that the current administration of Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa , had promised not to abandon any project, stating that the administration had also flagged off many road projects to ease movement in the state.
Ogunmolasuyi promised that the legislature with its oversight functions would collaborate with the executive and other major stakeholders to fix bad roads in the state and make them motorable before Christmas.
Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftainship Affairs, Alhaji Amidu Takuro, said that inner roads within the 18 local government areas of the state were being given attention to by the state government.
Takuro recalled that the state governor in March inaugurated the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project( RAAMP) to ease transportation of farm produce to the urban centres.
He added that the project was in addition to series of road projects being carried out across the state for free movement of traffic.
Also, the Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ondo State, Mr Ademola Odudu, said that the state government was making efforts within its financial ability to make roads in the state motorable.
Odudu said that the present administration in the state within its 10 months had flagged off series of road construction and carried out rehabilitation, adding that it had promised not to abandon any project initiated by former Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu.
In Osun, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) assured that some critically failed sections of federal roads within the state would be repaired soon.
Mr Adeyemi Olubunmi , the Engineer- in -charge of FERMA in the state, said the agency was currently waiting for funds from the government to embark on the road maintenance.
Olubunmi said that FERMA was also working with the state’s road maintenance agency on the identified roads that needed urgent attention .
He said that the agency was currently working on the Ife-Sekona road and that other critical ones would be looked into once fund was available.
Also, Mr Bello Bashir, Permanent Secretary, Osun Ministry of Works, said that government had mapped out strategies to ensure the rehabilitation of all bad roads in the state.
Bashir said that the state government had completed the construction of some major roads across the state and some were ongoing, while others would be attended to.
He said that most of the roads mentioned by residents would be looked into and that drastic measures were in place to ensure they were in good condition.
Also, the Ekiti Commissioner for Information, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, said that no fewer than 18 road projects, across the 16 local government areas of the state were either under construction or already competed.
These include: the Ado township road, the Ilawe-Ikere Road, Ado-Ilawe Road, Ikole Township Roads, Ado-Ilawe Road, Ilawe-Igede Ekiti Road, Igede-Aramoko Road, Ayegunle-Ijurin-Iloro Road, Iworoko-Are-Afao- Airport ring road.
Others are; Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki Road, Ifaki-Ido Road, Imesi-Kosomolate-Ipole Road, Ikere-Ilawe Road, Igbaraodo- Ikere Road, Ikere-Ise Road, and Awo-Ara-Ijero-Ekiti Road, among others.
Apart from these aforementioned roads, construction work has also commenced on several farm roads, across the 16 local government areas.
These are the Enu Odi-Igirigiri Road, Omisanjana-Ben Folarin-Oke Aso Road, Ise-Imola Road, Owode-Anaye Road, Oye- Are Road.
Others are; Afolu-Odofin Road, Ilupeju-Igbo Egan Road, Iye-Isapa-Olopemeji-Ikun Road, Erinmope-Irare-Ikosu Road, Igbole-Egan-Osi-Iropora road, FMS Farm-Oke Ako Road, Ikogosi-Aba-Ori Okuta-Ikogosi Road and Ara-Ekameta school Road.
This was corroborated by the Commissioner for Works, Mr Sola Adebayo, who expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for it’s partnership in so many areas, but pleaded that it should kindly expedite actions on some of it’s roads in the state.
Adebayo said that some key federal roads, linking Ekiti with the neighbouring states, which were particularly terrible, were currently receiving the attention of the state government.
This, he said, was basically to ease the hardship, faced by transporters and commuters.
The commissioner said that the road construction initiatives constituted part of a broader vision to create a more connected and accessible Ekiti State.
” By addressing critical infrastructural needs, we aim to stimulate local economies, reduce travel time, and improve overall living conditions for our people”, he said.
Adebayo assured the public, that his office would maintain its cooperative relationship with FERMA, to respond swiftly to the terrible federal road conditions across the state. (NAN)