Group Bemoans Poor State of Federal Roads in Edo

•Urges state actors to hold APC led federal govt responsible 

•Hold FG responsible for bad state of roads, anguish from pump price increase, Edo state govt insists

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

With the rain almost on every day basis in Edo State,  a civil society group has lamented the devastating and deplorable effects, it has had on roads Edo state.

 The group said, “with the coming of heavy downpour, residents of Edo State have woken up to a sad reality, that most of the federal roads linking the state, if not all, are in a deplorable state.

“Many of them have become death traps, grounding business to a halt. Cutting short the lives of helpless citizens; spreading grief and sorrow.”

In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by  spokesman of the Solution Support Group, Shedrach Udugbai, stated: “At the risk of sounding immodest, there are no pliable roads that leads into Edo State.

“The so-called federal roads, linking Edo and the neighboring states are in comatose. The Benin-Lagos express way is in a terrible state. The Ovia bridge axis of the road is a death trap, where numerous fatal accidents have been recorded.

“The Benin- Auchi- Abuja express way has been under construction for God knows how long. The road is littered with potholes. Insecurity has reached its peak in this axis. With billions of naira lost to kidnappers.”, the group stated

According to the group that comprised mainly of professionals, the state of the Benin-Akure express way and the Benin-Asaba express way are not in any way different from the aforementioned roads.

The group stated further, “The Benin-Sapele road is worst. Dreaded by the most rugged trailer drivers, as they sink and breakdown on a daily basis. In truth, it is safe to say, that there isn’t a road.

“We have observed carefully that there’s a deliberate attempt by the APC federal government to annihilate the economic life of the good people of Edo State. Isolating us from the rest of the nation, making it practically impossible for us to do business.

“If the actions of the federal government is deliberate or not…if it is being deployed as a political weapon against the PDP controlled State Government… Only time will tell.”

Relatedly, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, has urged residents to hold the federal government responsible for the deplorable state of federal roads in the state and the continued suffering and hardship faced by the people as a result of the hike in fuel price, occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy by the federal government.

Osagie, said this when he addressed a group of protesters made up of civil society organisations and activists who were at the Government House, Benin City, to lament the high cost of petroleum products which had affected the cost of living, inflicting hardship and suffering on the people.

The media aide said the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, cannot change the price of fuel or fix federal roads when such monies would not be repaid to the state to execute its own road projects, urging the protesters to channel their energies to calling on the federal government to awaken to its responsibilities.

According to him, “We have challenges with the Edo State government roads that is why it will be difficult for us to take Edo people’s money to fix federal government roads. “The federal government collects 54 per cent of FAAC and local governments and states share the rest 46 per cent. Federal Government is just one entity while states are 36.

“The Edo State Government can’t take its money to fix federal government roads when we know that such money will not come back to the state. We have State roads to be fixed like the Ekehuan Road, among others. We can’t leave State roads to fix Federal Government roads.

“Governor Godwin Obaseki has been calling on the federal government to help fix the federal roads in the State, including Benin-Abraka Road and the Benin Auchi Road where our lawmaker almost died, as well as the Benin Sapele Road and the Benin-Lagos Road at the Ovia River Bridge but the calls fell on deaf ears as the Federal Government has not listened and there is no guarantee that they will act.”

On the pump price increase, Osagie said the governor can’t singlehandedly change the fuel price as demanded by the protesters but would help channel their grievances in a letter to the appropriate quarters for action.

He noted, “Fuel subsidy is everybody’s problem as it is not only your problem. The governor can’t restore subsidies or change the fuel price as you can tell the Federal Government yourself. However, we will collect the letter and hand it over to the governor for onward transmission to the President in Abuja.

“The people are suffering. We are also feeling the pinch and understand what you are going through. It’s not fair that the federal government plans to give N8,000 to ordinary people and give above N100 billion to the National Assembly as no reasonable person will accept that.”

Refuting rumoured plans by the government to use billions of public funds to buy official vehicles for Edo House of Assembly members, Osagie said, “It wouldn’t be fair for the governor to use billion to buy cars for EDHA members and fail to fix the roads in the State as both the legislature and the people have their expectations.

“Obaseki would act on your letter as he is a reasonable governor and will convene that which is beyond him to the appropriate authorities that would act on it.”

A representative of the protesters, Kelly Osunbor of Faculty of Peace Organisation, lamented the anguish and pain of the people as a result of the fuel price hike, urging for the assistance of the state government.