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FG should fix Akure-Ado-Ekiti road

By Ayodele Fagbohun

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As a follow-up to the save our souls, distress and wake up calls to fix the poor condition of Akure/Ado-Ekiti federal road, a very critical intra and inter State road that links both Ondo/Ekiti states to other parts of the Country and Abuja, the Federal Capital territory (FCT Abuja) inclusive.
Paradoxically, this all important route is now decrepit, in utter state of disrepair and totally abandoned by the Federal government saddled with the maintenance of the highway. The federal government is only greedily biting off more than it can chew.
In spite of this obvious criminal neglect of the much-needed federal road, respite came in the offing recently as the federal Ministry of Works and Housing embarked upon feasibility study and conducted some field work on the project.
This necessitated erection of sign posts to signal early commencement of more serious work on dualisation or at best three lanes per carriageway from Akure to Ado-Ekiti road in Ondo/Ekiti States.
To underscore the importance and urgency in the early re-construction of the road, Dantata and Sawoe Construction (Nigeria) Ltd and Factorial Engineering Ltd, a firm of structural engineering are constructed to handle the long delayed project.
At this juncture, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu SAN and Dr Kayode Fayemi, the respective governors of Ondo-Ekiti states deserve glowing tribute for their proactive and spirited role to fix the road on behalf of the federal government. With the understanding that the expenses incurred should be defrayed by the federal government.
On this count, our two dynamic and inimitable governors solicited aid in form of loan from President African Development Bank (AfDB), our illustrious Dr Akinwumi Adesina who readily acceded to their request to salvage our area from the agony and carnage of badly maintained and derelict federal road.
We later heard from the grapevine that federal government used its big stick to stop the patriotic effort of Aketi/Fayemi not out of spite of course but to do the needful and appropriated by awarding the road to Dantata and Sawoe construction company.
Now, we should reiterate that the ball is in the court of Governors Aketi and Fayemi and the buck equally stop at their individual tables to speedily urge their respective minister in the Federal Executive Council to diplomatically and tactically put Akure/Ado Ekiti road’s file for early implementation before the rain begins in March this year. A stitch in time saves nine!
Ondo State former Commissioner for Information, Chief Femi Aliko decried the state of the road which posed great hazards to the people in the area especially Iju/Itaogbolu residents who are victims of deliberate assault, the butts and at the receiving ends of criminal and nefarious activities wantonly unleashed on the road by men and sometimes women of the underworld.
According to him, the people haeaved a sigh of relief on the level of work going on in the site. This should not be window-dressing at all. The Federal Executive Council presided over by President Buhari in its weekly meetings should give approval for work to commence on Akure/Ado-Ekiti highway without further delay.”
As adumbrated in the second paragraph of this essay, the federal government is clothed with over bearing provisions in the constitution that are patently offensive, repugnant and could impugn the integrity of state government as co-ordinate autonomous, and independent of federal government.
In other words, the powers of the federal government are greatly increased at the expense of the state. The 1963 republican constitution contains an exclusive legislative list and a concurrent list. The exclusive list is the responsibility of the federation. The concurrent list included subjects on which both the state and federal government can legislate.
The draconian influence of military rule on the polity and Nigerian psyche inadvertently and surreptitiously watered down concurrent list in passing most of the subjects in that list to federal government.
By all means, let us return to some provisions in the 1963 Republican Constitution without being afraid to enable government meet the legitimate aspirations of the peoples without being driven from pillar to post. It is time the federal government in a true spirit of federalism relinquished its stranglehold on road infrastructure across the country. The constitution should be amended or reviewed outrightly to bankroll state with enough funds and resources in fixing roads largely in dilapidated country in the country.
For instance, the relics of Awo roads in old Western Region still stand solid over six decades. Look at the stellar quality of Aketi’s roads’ construction network across the state in a cynosure which endears him to the people to easily earn the epithet of “Mr Road”. The people usually reside in the countryside are much closed and in strong affinity with state/local government administration than Federal Government tucked for away in Abuja metropolis.
The earlier the Federal Government is divested of overbearing influence and greed for the parks of office and devolves powers to the state, the better for the all round development, peace, progress and the unity of the country.
Our overriding objective is this. To make a plea to whom it may concern in government and other stakeholders to fix Akure/Ado Ekiti major way now in deplorable condition. The road in the main links adjoining villages and towns to the rest of the world. It is onerous task to keep the road secure and safe for the avalanche of human and vehicular traffic that ply the route and to guarantee free flow of goods and services.

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FG should fix Akure-Ado-Ekiti road

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