The bodies issued the ultimatum in a statement jointly signed by NANS Chairman, Ogun Joint Campus Committee, Comrade Simeon Damilola Kehinde, NAOSS National president Comrade Ogunrombi Oluwagbemileke and Chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ogun state Comrade Ayelagbe Jabar on Tuesday.
They noted that comments credited to the Minister, “showed that he has no concern about the sufferings of the residents and those plying the road,”
The students and youth bodies called on the Minister to tell residents of the state when the Federal government would commence reconstruction of the road since he insisted that the state can not take over it.
Recall that Governor Dapo Abiodun during an inspection tour of the bad portions of the 52.5-kilometre road on Saturday called on the Federal government to fix the road within two weeks failure to which the state would take over its reconstruction.
Ogun and Lagos State governments had in 2019 submitted a proposal to the Federal government, seeking the handing over of the road to them for joint reconstruction.
Abiodun lamented that, three years after, the Federal government had failed to consider the proposal while the condition of the road had worsened.
Abiodun accused the Federal government of frustrating his administration’s efforts at reconstructing the road.
But, Fashola while reacting to Abiodun’s statement during an interview on Channels Television, said, Ogun State lacked the financial capacity to reconstruct the road.
Fashola warned Abiodun not to engage in an act contrary to the law by reconstructing the road without the Federal government’s approval.
But, the NANS, NAOSS and NYCN in Ogun State, described Fashola’s comment as the height of insensitivity to the plights of residents of the State by the Federal government.
The bodies commended the sincerity and commitment of Governor Dapo Abiodun towards fixing the road, and said, the Federal government has failed in its responsibility and therefore sees nothing wrong in Ogun State taking over the reconstruction of the road.
“We are saddened by the insensitivity and wickedness of the Federal government through the Ministry of Works to continue to subject residents of the State to untold hardships by not fixing the deplorable Lagos-Sango Ota – Abeokuta road.
“For years, our people especially thousands of people who ply the road on daily basis have been going through hell.
“But it is very unfortunate and disappointing for the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola to oppose the reconstruction of the road by the Ogun State government and not provide us with a solution to this huge problem.
“We consider Fashola’s comment as further proof of his incompetence, not showing concern for the huge deplorable state of the road and the Federal government’s insensitivity to the plights of the Ogun State people.
“It is so unfortunate and irresponsible for Fashola to turn down the Ogun State government’s offer of reconstructing the road even when Fashola has admitted that the Federal government has no funds to fix the road.
“Is it not only honourable for the Federal government to allow the Ogun State government to fix the road and alleviate the sufferings of the road users? Why does the Federal government hell-bent on inflicting pain on the people when there is an option to resolve the issue?
“We hereby call on the federal government to as a matter of urgency commence work on the Sango-Ota road and we condemn in totality the deliberate insensitivity of the Minister for works and housing.
The students, therefore, gave the Minister a 2-week ultimatum to commence reconstruction of the road and stated that failure will mean students and youths in the state would shut down the road in a massive protest.
“Finally, if at the expiration of our ultimatum (2 weeks), the federal refuses to commence work, we would mobilize en masse to shut down the Sango-Ota road.”
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