A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has appealed to the federal government to speedily commence the dualisation of the Ado-Ijan-Ikare road project recently awarded to to ease the suffering of people.
The road which connects other state, federal and private institutions in the state capital, such Federal Polytechnic, ABUAD, Knowledge Zone, Air Force Base and International Cargo Airport, as well as, linking Ondo State has become death trap for motorists.
The former Chairman House Committee on FERMA noted that when completed, the road would unlock the state’s economic and investment potentials.
Bamisile, who commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for constantly interfacing with federal authorities for the project to come on stream, saying such efforts clearly showed that the governor feels the pain of the residents who suffer daily on the dilapidated road.
The representative of Ekiti South Federal Constituency II, comprising Ayekire/Ekiti East/Emure Local Governments, gave the charge, in a statement released in Abuja and made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday.
The Chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on Delegated Legislation, said his major concern remains that the project will add immeasurable values to the economy of the state, as well as, complement Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s six pillars of development.
Bamisile, a former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly,
lamented the current decrepit status of the road, which he succinctly described as “becoming a booby trap threatening the lives of commuters”, saying the safety of Nigerians should also be accorded utmost priority.
“Let me commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for acceding to the request for the dualisation of this highly pivotal road that favourably connects the Southwest to the Northern part of our country through the efforts of our progressive Governor, Biodun Oyebanji.
“It is quite commendable, because it came at a time when progressive works are ongoing on the reconstruction of Ado-Ikere-Akure road. One can’t imagine the advantages the combined effects of these two projects will attract to Ekiti when completed.
“The Ado-Ikare road is of particular concern to me because it touches the lives of my constituents in Ayekire Local government. This local government is revered as a major cocoa, timber, palm tree and yams belt in Ekiti. My constituents’ contributions to the Gross Domestic Product(GDP) of Ekiti are enormous because of their comparative advantage in farming.
” If this project is completed, farmers in that axis would have limitless opportunities to transport some of their produce to Abuja, Kabba, Lokoja and Lagos markets for better profits. But as of now, the deplorable state of the road is inhibiting these opportunities and limiting farmers’ capacities to make profit.
“I appeal to the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, who had commendably visited the site of the project to as a matter of fact and urgency makes this road a priority being a major artery and nerve centre of Ekiti’s economic survival”.
The federal parliamentarian assured the federal government that his constituents in Ayekire Local Government will cooperate with the contractor handling the project for expeditious completion of the road in due course.
“The contractor has nothing to fear. My people are hospitable people. They will seamlessly cooperate with them to ensure that the project is successfully executed”, he assured.