By; ODEYEMI SAMUEL, Akure.
Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko has approved a special intervention programme to give attention to the deplorable condition of some federal roads in the state.
The programme tagged “Emergency Repairs” will commence with the dreaded Owo-Ikare road in the northern senatorial district of the state with the aim of alleviating the challenges faced by road users on the route.
Speaking at a media briefing jointly addressed by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade and the Chairman of the Ondo State Agency for Roads Maintenance and Construction, OSARMCO, Engr. Kehinde Oshikoya in Akure recently, Mr Akinmade said Governor Mimiko gave approval for the Emergency Repair Programme to ameliorate the challenges being faced by motorists on the Federal roads in the state including the Owo -Ikare road.
The Commissioner who appealed to the Federal Government to refund to the state, money being owed it on roads rehabilitated on its behalf, said making the refund will go a long way as the financial implication of combining rehabilitation of both federal and local roads by the state, all at a time could be overwhelming, considering the current paucity of fund.
Stressing the importance of good roads to economic development in any society, Akinmade said the role of good and motorable roads in reshaping the economy of a people can not be overemphasised.
He thus urged the federal government, to consider the plight of those who rely on these roads to eke out a living and ensure that the owed funds are paid to the state to enable government work more on its roads to make motoring more pleasurable for its people.
Giving details of the operational strategy of the Emergency Repair Programme, the Chairman of OSARMCO, Osikoya said one rehabilitation gang would commence work at the Owo axis immediately, while another would start massive rehabilitation from the Ikare axis.
Osikoya emphasized that another rehabilitation gang would carry out similar rehabilitation works by the middle of the road, expressing confidence that the quality and pace at which OSARMCO executes projects would again be demonstrated on the dreaded road.
The development, he said, is to ensure that the people of Ondo State and road users do not wait endlessly for the federal government for the repairs.
Meanwhile, the state government had earlier commenced rehabilitation of federal roads, beginning from Cultural Junction on Akure-Ondo road and also on Akure-Ado Ekiti road by Igoba.
