Ekiti: Scrutinise Contractors, Save Us From Nightmare Of Bad Roads Residents Lament

Interstate roads in Ekiti State, which are mostly federal roads are in a state of disrepair, and most internal roads across the states cannot even be mentioned. That it belongs to one sector or the other of government is not the bone of contention, but rather that the roads be fixed regardless.

In September, the portion of the road connecting Ilawe Ekiti to Ado Ekiti , the Ekiti State capital collapsed and became unaccessible for motorists and commuters.

The pressure on the road had increased in the last two years with motorists connecting Akure, the Ondo State capital through the route due to deplorable state of Ado-Ikere-Akure road.

The collapse of the road was also traceable to the landslide occasioned by the water springing from nearby rocks which penetrated the underground portion of the road, as well as heavy vehicle traffic recorded on the road in the recent times.

The state sector of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had since directed motorists to use prescribed alternative routes.

Other affected roads in the state that need urgent attention are: Ado-Iworoko Road, collapsed bridge between Ipole Iloro and Efon, failed bridge at Ilawe end of Igede-Ilawe Road, failed portion on Okemesi Road, Ado-Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road and Ifaki-Oye-Ayebode Road.

Speaking on the deplorable condition of the roads in the state , a former member of the National Assembly, Senator Ayo Arise expressed concern over them.

Arise, who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), lamented that Ekiti had been technically cutoff from the rest of the country due to the menace of poor road networks.

He, however, called on the federal government to as matter of urgency to rise to the occasion by fixing the roads.

“The roads ,which are Federal Government roads have all gone beyond repair. The roads we are plying today are vestiges of the first republic .It is very bad and I think the Federal government should do something very quickly,” he said.

Also, a House of Representatives member,  Hon. Femi Bamisile said shoddy jobs by some road contractors and heavy and articulated vehicles plying roads not approved for them, were responsible for deplorable state of roads across the country.

Bamisile, who is the chairman, House Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said plans are in the pipeline to blacklist all road contractors delivering shoddy jobs in the country.

The federal lawmaker who represents Ekiti South federal Constituency II said,  “There are contractors who are creating hardship for Nigerians through sub-standard jobs, hence the need for thorough scrutiny of all intending contractors before the award of contracts.”

He said the deplorable condition of roads across Nigeria and including Ekiti State is unfortunate, appalling and regrettable, hence the need for necessary actions to prevent further damages of roads across the country.