PDP decries parlous state of federal roads in Edo

The Edo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decried the parlous state of federal roads in the state on Friday, describing the situation as wicked and criminal neglect on the part of the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led government to punish Edo people.

Addressing a press conference at the state secretariat of the party in Benin on Friday, the state chairman, Dr Tony Aizegbemi, said that the party’s local government election campaigns in Edo North and Edo Central senatorial Districts exposed the sorry state of federal roads in the state, adding that because of the situation, many articulated vehicles had left the federal roads for the state roads, thus putting undue pressure on those state roads that were not meant for heavy trucks.

Dr Aizegbemi, who described Edo State as a transit state that links the West to the East and the North, as well as the main link that binds the Nigerian people together, deserved better treatment from the federal government, arguing that the only plausible reason for neglecting the federal roads in the state would be the hatred the central government had for the people of the state.

He lamented that the situation became “more criminal and wicked” because the same federal government, which would not fix the roads, had also warned the state government against fixing any federal road in the state as it threatened that it would not reimburse the state for whatever amount of money it expended on the federal roads.

To that end, he said that the state government would soon block all access to all state roads so that the articulated vehicles abandoning the gory federal roads to state roads would be denied access so as to draw the attention of the federal government and make it live up to its responsibility.

“It became necessary for us to call your attention, as well as the attention of all Nigerians, to the current dilapidating nature of basic infrastructure, the downturn in the economy, and the structural development of small and medium-scale businesses in the country.

“We are all aware that Nigeria is currently under a new dispensation and government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Ordinarily, some will say it is too early to be critical of the government, but the fact remains that even when this administration is seen to be under a different or new personality of Bola Tinubu, the fact remains that it is still the same party, the APC.

So, it is just a mere analysis of the same vehicle with a different driver.

“At this point, we have to say here and emphatically at that, that the FG should declare a state of emergency on the nation’s road infrastructure, which has totally collapsed under their watch for upward of 8 years.

‘It may interest you to know that the FG under the APC had been nonchalant about this infrastructure cutting across the length and breadth of the country.

One may not be far from being right if one says it is a deliberate attempt by the FG to annihilate the south, most especially the south-south, from the rest of the country.

“For as much as one may be tempted to espouse the effect of the failed system on the generality of Nigerians, we are more concerned with the effect of this on our people in Edo State.

You know that because of our natural and divinely placed location in Nigeria, Edo is a transit state that links from the west to the east, to the north, and so on.

We serve as the main link that binds the Nigerian people together.

“It is so sad that there is no road that enters, exits, or is within our state that is a FG road that is in a motorable state.

Is it the Lagos-Ore-Benin Road that became a death trap, especially by the Ovia River? Alternatively, one may be tempted to ply the Akure-Owo-Benin road.

That temptation is laced with regret, as you will be trapped there for a day at the risk of attendant security challenges.

“Let’s look at the road linking Edo State to Delta and the other south-South states via the Sapele road axis; it’s a sorry tale.

Is it the Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi-Lokoja road that has virtually become nonexistent that you want to talk about? All these are indicators of SYSTEMIC FAILURE OF GOVERNMENT on the part of the FG”, Aizegbemi said.

According to him, “The effects of the bad road infrastructure on the transport community, commuters, businesses, and other related indices of the economy are quantifiable.

Are you aware that Nigerians sleep days on these roads? Are you aware that farm goods and foodstuff perish daily without getting to the terminal consumers at a great loss to the farmers, transporters, and businessmen?

Are you aware that livestock die in their hundreds at great cost to the people and the economy, and all these losses have no meaning to the FG?

Aizegbemi stressed that the Edo PDP and the people of the state were worried about the nonchalant attitude of the federal government and assured that the state government would continue to fix link state roads to serve as by-passes to the failed federal roads.

He added that the party might advise the state government to follow the federal Ministry of Work’s directive on federal roads and go ahead to fix the roads.

The Edo PDP state chairman disclosed that the party had completed the campaign tour of the 11 councils in Edo North and Edo Central Senatorial Districts, adding that it would embark on the tour of Edo South councils by Monday.

He stressed that September 2, 2023, local elections remained important to the PDP as the local government remained the foundation for democracy and the party was desirous of using the elections to consolidate its holds on the grassroots as well as bring the government closer to the people in the hinterlands.

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