Ekiti channels N10bn bond proceeds to road development

Good road network is a crucial component of the development of human settlements because the people need to move about unhindered in the course of carrying out their daily activities.

Because of the importance of good roads to socio-economic development, the Ekiti State Government has made the construction of new roads and rehabilitation of existing ones an important of its eight-point development agenda.

With limited resources to execute developmental programmes because of its position as number 35 on the revenue sharing formula among the 36 states of the federation, the Dr. Kayode Fayemi-led administration faced a difficult task in transforming the largely rural and agrarian state.

Apparently convinced of the importance of a good network of roads, the government had approached the capital market last year to raise an infrastructural development bond of N20bn, with half of the amount devoted to linking the various communities through an extensive road network.

The move now appears to be paying dividends with most of the projects embarked upon by the Fayemi administration at advanced stages of completion, while some have been delivered.

The governor explained, “Ekiti State is rural and agrarian, most urban dwellers don’t usually come here because of bad roads. We want to make the state the investment and tourism destination of Nigeria.

“Because of our investments in road rehabilitation and construction, Ekiti is now the link between the South and the North because most vehicles going to Abuja from places like Lagos, Ibadan and other cities in the entire southern region now use the roads we have developed to get to Kogi State and then to the Federal Capital Territory.”

Among the critical road projects that the Fayemi administration initiated and has completed are the Ijigbo-Isato-Ile Abiye road and the box culvert connecting Apostolic Faith community with the Ajilosun main road.

Some of the project inherited from previous administrations in the state but which the present government has completed are the 3.21-kilometre New Iyin-NTA-Ilawe bye pass and Judges’ Quarters road; Erijiyan-Ilawe road, 14.3km; Ijesa Isu-Ode road, 10km; and Odo Owa-Oke Ila road, 12km.

Others are Awo-Iyin road, 6km; Ayede-Gede-Omu road, 22.5km; Osun-Iloro road, 9.4km; and Secretariat-Aedele road extension, 0.26km.

The government also has 18 road projects that it initiated currently at various stages of completion. Theses include the Ado-Ilawe road, 11.5km; Ado-Afao road, 10.74km; rehabilitation of failing culverts along Adebayo-Housing road; Ilawe-Igbaraodo-Ibuji road, 17km; Ijan-Ise road, 17km; Fajuyi-University Teaching Hospital road, 1.65km; Ikogosi-Ipole Iloro road, 24km; and Omisanjana-Deeper Life Church, Ikere road, 9.3km.

Others are Ojumose-Basiri-Police Headquarters-Iyin road, 4.9km; Oye-Ikun-Otun road, 43km; Ikere-Igbaraodo road, 19km; Igede-Awo-Ido road, 24km; Ikole-Ijesa Isu-Iluomoba road, 23km; Ijagbo-Baptist College (Ilawe) road, 3.62km; Old Garage-Ado-Ikere road, 13km; Ijero-Ipoti-Ayetoro road, 17km; dualisation of the Old Garage-Ojumose road, 0.8km; and dualisation of Atikankan-NITEL-Baptist road, 0.9km.

Among the inherited road projects that the administration has taken on and are at advanced stages of completion are the Ikere-Emure road, 30km; Itawure-Okemesi-Osun State border road, 15.67km; Ewu bridge; Ado-Iworoko-Ifaki road dualisation, 19km; Aramoko-Ijero-Ido road, 27.56km;Oke-Iya Sharp Corner-Ara road; Wuraola Gomez Street, GRA, Ado road, 762m; and Ode Ile-Okemesi junction road, 8.5km.

Others are Irele-Ponyan road, 11.64km; Ori Apata-Adebayo road, 2.6km; Aisegba-Ijesa Isu road, 14.06km; Otun-Isan-Ora road, 9.6km; Ilemeso-Omu road, 3.6km; Oye-Are road, 12.14km; Ode township road, 2.5km; Olokuta-Ilora road, Ado, 736m; and Ikere-Ilawe road, 20km.

Fayemi said, “Most of the roads we are fixing belong to the Federal Government because we cannot tell our people that some roads are bad because they are federal roads and we cannot do them. We have been discussing with the Federal Government on the debt they owe us for the roads, which is about N10bn.

“I promised Ekiti people the best within available resources. The contractors we are using are reputable and have given me the guarantee that the roads they are handling will not be revisited in 10 years’ time. We ensure that they carry out soil test in order to determine the appropriate materials to use. We have also asked every local government council to fix 10km of roads each.”

The governor gave a hint that his administration might restrict the movement of interstate heavy duty trucks because most the roads were designed for 30 tonnes of axial load trucks, but were presently being plied by 90-tonne trucks in order to get to the northern part of the country.

The Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Sola Adebayo, said the government had already accessed about half of the N14bn voted for road construction and rehabilitation in the 2012 budget, and that the intention was to make all the towns and cities in the state accessible by 2014.

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Roads, Mr. Sunday Adunmo, said the government had paid compensation to property owners affected by the widening of township roads to the tune of N275m before construction works commenced.