Even though the President Mohammadu Buhari (PMB)-led government has made frantic efforts to arrest infrastructural deficit in terms of motorable roads, most Nigerian roads are in the state of total disrepair, with the associated pains and sorrow. Such roads include the Akure/Ado-Ekiti road that has almost receded to the state of disuse, with deep pervasive potholes.
The PMB-led administration awarded the contract for the reconstruction and dualisation of the road to Dantata and Sawoe almost two years ago for the sum of N22.6 billion, with possible mobilisation of the contractors to site in November 2020. The decision of the Federal Government took place at a time the Ondo and Ekiti States Governors, giving the centrality of the road to the economic wellbeing of their States, contemplated taking a bond to reconstruct the road, and toll it to recover the money expended.
However, sixteen months after the award of the road contract by the Federal Executive Council for the dualisation and reconstruction of the Akure/Ado-Ekiti road, the road remains unmotorable and a nightmare to users, who pass through untold hardship to commute to work, and their residences. The critical impassable condition of the road, apart from the loss of time and manpower, the road has now become den of kidnappers and a death trap.
It was due to the foregoing tale of woes that the residents and other road users recently protested the abandonment of the Akure/Ado-Ekiti road, carrying placards with inscriptions absorbing President Buhari from the hiccups associated to the road, and calling for the revocation of the contract from Dantata and Sawoe.
The sordid state of the road is inimical to the economy of both Ondo and Ekiti States.
The continuous abandonment of the road is condemnable, considering the bold step taken by the Federal Executive Council to have awarded the contract for the reconstruction and dualisation of the road. We also believe that the two companies involved are reputable institutions that have no excuse in delivering on their mandate, and should avoid being dragged into unnecessary controversies.
It is necessary for the Minister of Works, as well as the Governors of Ondo and Ekiti States to come out and speak to the people on this matter, as silence on it cannot be golden. As good representatives of the people, the two Governors should continue to mount pressure on appropriate quarters, to ensure that this very important road receives urgent attention. This is more so as the protesters had threatened to return to the road with vigour, if nothing was done to ameliorate the condition of the road, in order to prevent needless disruptions of the scarce needed peace in the States and country at large.
While commending the resilience of residents and users of the road, who are incidental victims, and who have suffered one untold hardship or the other, we like to appeal to the Federal Government to immediately mobilise the contractors to site to salvage the situation, by halting the ongoing maiming, kidnapping on the road, as well as prevent continuous unwarranted loss of lives and resources. This is more so as citizens of the two States and the other users of the road deserve decent living.
The Hope
