Ado/Akure Highway; Minister Makes Case For Urgent Completion

By Ayodele Oni

The Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, has revealed that indigenes of Ondo and Ekiti states have been mounting pressure on him over the deplorable condition of Ado/Ikere/Akure highway.

The highway seems to have become a campaign issue by the All Progressive Congress, (APC) led administration in both states.

During campaigns for the reelection of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, one of his promises was that he would put pressure on federal government to not only rehabilitate but dualize the highway.

Also Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti not only used the highway as a campaign issue, but ensured contractor was mobilized to site, carry out grading of a small portion, but later abandoned the project.

The deplorable condition of the road has, apart from untold hardship for travelers, bandits have turned it to their hideout, with at least three kidnappings happening there weekly.

Adegoroye, who resumed duties as a junior Minister less that a month ago, urged the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, to expedite action on the commencement of the reconstruction of the Akure – Ado Ekiti road.

Adegoroye, on a visit to Fashola in his office in Abuja, said the people of Ondo and Ekiti States have continued to experience too much pain on the bad road and therefore need a respite.

The project for the dualisation of the road was awarded by the federal government to Dantata and Sawoe in 2020 for N22 billion, but the contractor has not commenced the project due to lack of mobilisation from the government.

Fashola had disclosed in a recent interview that lack of funds is delaying mobilisation of the contractor to the site.

A statement by Media Aide to the Minister of state, Ebenezer Adeniyan stated that his boss, who was making his second visit to the Works Minister in one month, said the poor state of the road has necessitated an urgent action from the federal government.

He told Fashola that his people would not let him rest at home until work begins on the road, promising to keep visiting the Works Minister once every week until the project takes off.

He said the Akure – Ado road project would be the major benefit of both Ondo and Ekiti States from the unprecedented 77 road projects embarked upon by the Muhammadu Buhari Administration and currently ongoing across the country.

Responding, Fashola reaffirmed his earlier comment that lack of funds had made it difficult for the government to begin the project, saying the road has not been abandoned.

Thanking Adegoroye for showing genuine concerns over the project, the Works Minister promised his colleague that he will do everything within his power to ensure that the project takes off in no distant time.