Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party National New Media Group (PDP-NNMG) has tasked Ekiti and Ondo states governors, Kayode Fayemi and Rotimi Akeredolu, respectively, on the deplorable state of the Ikere Ekiti-Akure Road.
The group said with the rehabilitation and dualisation of the Ado-Ikere section of the road by the former governor Ayo Fayose-led PDP administration, nothing should have stopped the Ondo governor in particular from fixing the state section of the road more so that it was budgeted for in 2018.
The PDP-NNMG accused the APC Federal Government of totally neglecting the road despite that budgetary provision was made for its reconstruction in 2015 by the PDP administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan.
In a statement, yesterday, Ekiti State Coordinator of the PDP-NNMG, Bola Agboola, said: “Ikere-Akure Road has become the worst interstate road in the South West and, indeed, Nigeria because those at the helm of affairs do not see themselves as one of us.”
The Ekiti PDP-NNMG feels strongly that the affinity of Fayemi to Aso Rock should not be seen only in areas of electoral manipulations, but also in area of infrastructure development via synergy with neighbouring states across the South West.
Describing it as the worst interstate road in Nigeria, the group said allowing Ikere/Akure Road to deteriorate that much without any attention by the APC governments in Ondo and Ekiti states was the height of wickedness occasioned by the disconnect between a people and her supposed leaders.
It said: “It is appalling that despite that Governor Fayemi uses the road regularly, he has not deemed it necessary to impress it upon his friend, Akeredolu to give attention to the Ondo section of the road, which has almost become impassable.
“There is no gainsaying that the Fayose administration did so well in fixing Ado/Ikere axis of the road through quality dualization even when it belongs to the Federal Government. This road has suffered enormous neglect from previous administrations that held sway in Ondo State.
“Whereas the strategic nature of Ikere/Akure Road to the economy of Ekiti people can never be over emphasised, the quality time commuters daily fritter away by virtue of the poor condition of the road can also not be over flogged.
“For close to a year now, Fayemi has doubled as the minister and Ekiti State governor, we are aware of his influence in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, we hereby call on him to without further delay work with Governor Akeredolu to alleviate the suffering of Ekiti and Ondo people by putting Ikere/Akure Road in good shape.
“As much as cynics may want to argue that this road belongs to the Federal government, Buhari does not ply it, it is our people that suffer the brunt.”