Why Dualization Of Ado/Akure Road Is Delayed – Governor Fayemi; Raises Hope

By Ayodele Oni

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has said recent visit by Minister of state for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye to the Minister of works, Mr Babatunde Fashola on the deplorable condition of Ado/Akure road may likely yeild any result.

Governor Fayemi, in a statement explained various efforts by Ondo and Ekiti State governments to get the road fixed but frustrated by the federal government.

He blamed the federal government for the continued deplorable condition and delayed dualization of the road project, saying the Federal Government had refused to cede the project to Ekiti and Ondo States.

The Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, who assumed duty less than a month ago, had told the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Fashola, during a visit to him in Abuja that people of both states have been putting pressure on him about the road.

During the visit, Adegoroye urged Fashola to expedite action on the commencement of the dualization project.

Fayemi, while explaining his efforts on the project, said, “I have spent the last three years on the subject of this road. I finally got them to award the dualization in November 2019 at the cost of N30b. To date, the contractor has only received N2b.

“I then got money from the AfDB for the road through Adesina, and the federal government refused to cede the road to Ondo and Ekiti States and threatened us there will be no refund if we went ahead and tampered with their road.”

“In the end, we transferred the money to them and even helped them follow up with AfDB.

“Up till now, they can’t access the money because they have refused to follow AfDB procurement standards. After that, got them to put in Sukuk money, but the contractor has not been able to access this.

“We are now pursuing NNPC to include the road in their new tax credit roads they are funding, but we are still on it.

“There’s no month Fashola and I do not speak about this road for the past three years. It has even caused friction between the two of us. If we had been given clearance to do the road and toll it, we offered to do that, but the federal government refused.

“I wish Demola luck on his new venture. Senator Alasoadura did the same and even cried at FEC on account of the road. Maybe he will succeed where we have not.”