By Ademola Adeleke
Following the continued deplorable state of linking roads in Ekiti, the state House of Assembly has summoned both state and federal agencies saddled with the responsibility of road construction and maintenance for explanation.
The Assembly at the plenary in Ado, through unanimous resolution invited the concerned stakeholders for proper briefing.
The lawmakers, who spoke during the deliberation, specifically mentioned Ado/Ikere/Akure Road, Aramoko/Igede/Itawure Road, Ikole/Ayedun/Omuo Road and Ado/Ilawe/IgbaraOdo Road, which are federal roads linking Ekiti to other boundary states in the country.
Similarly, some road contractors responsible for the construction and rehabilitation of these road were invited by the Assembly.
Earlier Under Matters of Urgent Public Importance, Mrs Yemisi Ayokunle, Ekiti SouthWest Constituency 1, called the attention of the House to the collapsed Ado/Ilawe Road.
She said, though the state government was trying at delivering its promises to make life better for citizens but that government should ensure a solid bridge that could stand the test of time.”
Other lawmakers, who decried the continued deplorable state of linking roads across the state included, Mr Goke Olajide, Efon Constituency, Mr Tunde Idowu, Ikere Constituency 2 and Mr Stephen Aribasoye, a member representing Ikole Constituency 2, called for standard roads construction.
Aribasoye called for true federalism that will remove some responsibility in the exclusive and put into the concurrent list like establishment of state police, construction and rehabilitation of trunk A roads in their domain.
He was of the view that if states are given power to take up the construction or maintenance of these federal roads in the exclusive list, Gov. Kayode Fayemi-led adminstration would be able to intervene in some of the affected trunk “A” roads.
Aribisogan said the deplorable state of federal roads, which usually serve as linking roads of the state to other parts of the country had made Ekiti to be currently cut-off from the nation.
He called on all federal lawmakers from Ekiti to lobby the federal government to come to the aid of the Ekiti for possible solutions, saying most of these roads economic values can not be over emphasised.
