By Ademola Obadofin

Residents of Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State have been assured of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to rehabilitating the dilapidated roads in the area.

The assurance was given by a Special Assistant on Mobilisation to the Governor, Agunloye Akeju, during a tour of the dilapidated roads in the area, following an invitation from the youth.

Akeju, who hails from Iyani Ikaramu, after traversing the Arigidi-Erusu and Ikaramu roads during the inspection with the youths, assured that “soon, the pains you are going through travelling on these roads will be over, because Mr Governor is on top of the situation.”

He said the state administration had captured all bad roads in its development plan, with a dedicated framework for awarding repair or construction contracts periodically.

“That is why I can boldly say that the good times will soon be here for our rural dwellers, especially the farmers who are often constrained in transporting their farm produce to urban centres for sale due to bad roads,” he assured.

The governor’s aide particularly highlighted the collaboration between the Federal Government and the state administration under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAMP), as well as Governor Aiyedatiwa’s Our Ease work agenda, noting that these schemes would bring rapid transformation to the grassroots of Ondo State.

“Under these schemes, there is no community that will not be touched, and development projects such as good road networks, water supply schemes, hospitals and clinics, agro-allied industries, among others, have been included,” Akeju stressed.

On the issue of insecurity, Akeju stated that the state-owned South-West Security Network Corps, Amotekun, had been adequately equipped to cope with rising challenges.

He, however, urged locals and vigilante groups in the area to remain truly vigilant, saying, “when you see something, say something.”

He said Governor Aiyedatiwa had strengthened all security agencies in Ondo State by providing the necessary logistics and incentives to ensure prompt and effective responses to distress calls, as well as to act efficiently on intelligence reports.