posted October 12, 2023
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has expressed his appreciation to the members representing Edo State in the House of Representatives for their support in calling on the federal government to urgently initiate repairs on dilapidated federal roads in the state.
The governor commended the representatives for addressing the dire condition of these roads and emphasized the importance of this action in alleviating the hardships faced by the people and stimulating economic activities within the state.
The House of Representatives, on their part, decried the poor state of federal roads not only in Edo State but across the entire nation. They urged various federal government agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, to devise a swift plan for the reconstruction of these failing roads.
The resolution was made following a motion titled ‘Need for the Reconstruction of the Federal Highways in Edo State,’ presented by Edo State representatives on the floor of the National Assembly. The Rep members are Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, Dekeri Sunday and seven other lawmakers.
These representatives stressed the critical role that Edo State plays as a transit hub for travelers, linking to the East, West, and North through various roads, noting especially the East flank through Ewu/Uronigbe/Agbor/Asaba Roads, the West Uzebba_Ifon/Ofosu/Okada/Ovia roads, and the North via Auchi/Ekpoma/Benin and Afuze/Sabongidda Ora/Sobe roads. They also highlighted the imminent threat of Edo State being cut off from the rest of the country due to the poor road conditions, causing severe hardships for residents.
Governor Obaseki, while responding to the lawmakers’ call, expressed his disappointment with the federal government’s lack of response to his previous appeals for the repair of these roads. He acknowledged the actions of the Edo State representatives in the National Assembly, describing them as committed to improving the welfare of Edo State residents.
According to him, “We commend our representatives at the National Assembly for the call to the federal government to immediately commence the repair of dilapidated federal roads in Edo State, lending their voice to the several calls we have made in the past on the poor condition of the roads and the need to pay urgent attention to these roads to ameliorate the sufferings of motorists and other road users, without eliciting any positive response.
“We are proud of the action of these our illustrious sons at the House of Representatives which has further solidified their commitment to the welfare of the people of Edo State, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Edo State Government in improving the quality of life of our people.”
Obaseki further informed that the state government has initiated palliative work on some federal roads, such as the Benin-Sapele Road and Benin-Agbor Road. He urged the federal government to use this opportunity to commence immediate repairs on all failing federal roads in Edo State, emphasizing the need to alleviate the suffering of motorists and the general public using these roads.
Obaseki further noted, “While we have begun efforts to carry out palliative work on a few of the federal roads like the Benin-Sapele Road and Benin-Agbor Road, we urge the federal government to seize the golden opportunity presented by this call to immediately initiate the repairs of all their failed roads in Edo State to ameliorate the sufferings of motorists and our people on the roads.
In conclusion, Obaseki called on Edo residents, both within the state and in the Diaspora, as well as all Nigerians, to join their voices in demanding that the federal government fulfill its responsibility by fixing these roads. He also emphasized that the federal government’s allocation from the Federation Account should support these efforts.