By Alofe Ayomoses.
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| Gov. Fayemi with some aides |
Ekiti state Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has ordered that temporary measure be put in place on the collapsed Ureje bridge, after the torrential downpour wreaked severe damages on Monday.
This temporary measure, which was carried out by the Special Adviser to the Governor on roads, Hon. Sunday Adunmo on Independence Day received praises from residents and commuters plying the route.
There has been public outcry in some sections of the new media, calling for the total repair of the road linking major schools in the state; the Afe Babalola University, National Open University(NOUN) and the Federal Polytechnic; sit along the road.
The state government's prompt intervention on the major roads is laudable, considering the warning by the federal government that state governments must not fix its roads, should they want compensation.
The honorable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola SAN said he had been given a stern warning by the President that the Federal Government would not refund any money expended on Federal roads by State governments/Governors.
Fashola made this known last month in Abuja while appearing before the House of Representatives’ Ad-Hoc Committee on Abandoned Federal Government Projects (Works) from 1999 till date.
According to the Minister, the President issued the directive due to the humongous amounts being claimed by the Governors after repairing Federal roads in their various states.
Fashola said, “The states submitted a bill of almost a trillion naira when President Buhari was elected. He asked us to work out what were their entitlements and all of that.
“Ultimately, the BPP (the Bureau of Public Procurement) certified about N44bn – I don’t remember the exact amount now – except for two states.
I think Cross Rivers and…there’s another state. They didn’t have the documents at the time, which we have sent back to the President.
”But the decision to pay those inherited debts, including the ones I contracted as Governor of Lagos, was with the caveat that I should tell the Governors to leave his (Buhari’s) roads alone.
Those were the directives; I was not the one who unilaterally took the decision".
“He said, ‘Tell them not to fix my roads again if they’re going to claim compensation. If you want to fix it and not ask for compensation, send me what you want to do.
But if you want compensation, go and mind your business while I mind my business because I have inherited enough debts!’"
In quick intervention mode, Governor Fayemi, despite his very busy schedules as the Governor-General(NGF chairman) in Nigeria visited the collapsed bridge today, the 2nd day of October to see things himself and possibly invite the attention of the honorable Minister for works and housing to it. That's what a responsive Governor does.
Inspite of the fact the road belongs to the Federal Government, Governor Fayemi has always been doing all within his possible best to ensure that the Federal roads in the state are fixed. It could be recalled that he has always been there to ease the sufferings of the commuters on the high ways, which makes today's visit not exceptional. This can be seen when he directed the state government to fill up all potholes along the federal roads.
Governor Fayemi deserves accolades for his role in tackling the sufferings of the People of the state.
Alofe Ayomoses is a Digital Media Strategist and currently serves as Aide to the Chairman, House of Assembly Service Commission, Ekiti State.
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