Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party National New Media Group (PDP-NNMG) has said that the Governors of Ekiti and Ondo States, Kayode Fayemi and Rotimi Akeredolu should be ashamed of the deplorable state of the Ikere Ekiti to Akure road.
The group noted that; “with the rehabilitation and dualisation of the Ado to Ikere section of the road by the Ayo Fayose led PDP government, nothing should have stopped the Ondo State governor in particular from fixing the Ondo State section of the road more so that it was budgeted for in 2018.”
The PDP-NNMG accused the APC federal government of totally neglecting the road despite that budgetary provision was made for its reconstruction in 2015 by the PDP government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
In a statement made available to newsmen, Ekiti State Coordinator of the PDP-NNMG, Bola Agboola said “Ikere-Akure Road has become the worst interstate road in the South West and indeed Nigeria because those at the helm of affairs do not see themselves as one of us.”
The Ekiti PDP-NNMG feels strongly that the affinity of Dr. Kayode Fayemi to Aso Rock should not be seen only in areas of electoral manipulations but also in area of infra-structural development via synergy with neighboring states across South West Nigeria.
Describing the road as the worst interstate road in Nigeria, the group said allowing Ikere/Akure Road to deteriorate that much without any attention by the APC governments in Ondo and Ekiti States was the height of wickedness occasioned by the disconnect between a people and her supposed leaders.
It said “it is appalling that despite that Governor Fayemi uses the road regularly, he has not deemed it necessary to impress it upon his friend, Governor Akeredolu to give attention to the Ondo State section of the road, which has almost become impassable.
“There is no gainsaying that the Fayose administration did so well in fixing Ado/Ikere axis of the road through quality dualization even when it belongs to the federal government. This road has suffered enormous neglect from previous administrations that held sway in Ondo State.
“Whereas the strategic nature of Ikere/Akure road to the economy of Ekiti people can never be over emphasized, the quality time commuters daily fritter away by virtue of the poor condition of the road can also not be over flogged.
“For close to a year now, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has doubled as the Minister and Governor of Ekiti State, we are aware of his influence in the Buhari administration, we hereby call on him to without further delay work with governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State to alleviate the suffering of Ekiti and Ondo people by putting Ikere/Akure road in shape.
“As much as cynics may want to argue that this road in question belongs to the Federal government, Buhari does not ply it, it is our people that suffer the brunt and we say enough is enough.”