The Lawmaker representing Ikole Constituency 2 in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Adeoye Aribasoye, has lamented that the parlous state of the federal roads in the state portrayed that Ekiti has been excised from Nigeria.
The lawmaker tasked the members of the National Assembly representing Ekiti State to fight hard at the nation level and call the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari to the deplorable conditions of the 12 federal roads in Ekiti .
As part of the ways to subdue the situation and ensure that federal roads are put back in the right shapes, Aribasoye advocated radical restructuring of the country, to allow individual federating unit to develop at their own pace as witnessed during the first republic.
The Lawmaker said this in Ado Ekiti on Thursday while speaking on the floor of the House during its plenary session to discuss the state -of- the -state .
The Human Rights Lawyer stated that it was insalubrious for all the federal roads in Ekiti to have turned into death traps and posing dangers to motorists, saying this signposted that the state has been derecognised in the scheme of things.
Aribasoye said: “It is sad to let you know distinguished lawmakers that this morning, I watched that the federal road that connect Ekiti to Abuja and which leads to Ayedun Ekiti, had been cut off at one portion and now impassable.
“It is also very disturbing that the Ado-Ilawe road had also been cut off. The Ado-Ikere-Akure road has become inaccessible, the Ado-Aramoko road has been cut off. In fact , virtually all the federal roads are in bad shape to the extent that Ekiti now seems not to be part of Nigeria again.
“I believe that it will be right for the House to pass a resolution summoning the Federal Controller of Works in Ekiti to come and explain why the federal roads are in this shape. He should come and explain to us whether we are no longer part of Nigeria.
“We should also call on our representatives at the National Assembly, Senators Olubunmi Adetumbi, Biodun Olujimi , Opeyemi Bamidele , Hon Femi Bamisile, Sola Fatoba,Peter Owolabi and others, to call the attention of Mr President through their chambers to federal roads in Ekiti.
“It is very bad distinguished lawmakers that since Ado- Aramoko road has become impassable, people have been navigating their way through Ilawe-Erinjiyan new road constructed by the state government and the road has now been cut off at Ilawe because of the heavy traffic. This is really bad”.
Aribasoye harped on the need for the country to be restructured to give way for the emergence of a True Federalism to correct the imbalance and lopsidedness in the system.
“Nigeria as a country must be restructured, time has come for this. The kind of restructuring I mean is the one that will allow for true federalism, where all the federating units will be allowed to grow at their own pace.
“Look at the parlous state of our federal roads now, the state government can build them if they are empowered to do so. Governor Kayode Fayemi has really tried by ensuring that the Ado-Akure road is motorable to Ikere and Ekiti portion of it.
“Time has come for some of the things that are on the exclusive list of our Constitution to be brought to the Concurrent list, so that the state can be more empowered for good governance”.
Aribasoye also rued what he described as senseless killings and kidnapping of Ekiti residents by gunmen, alluding to this as another area that necessitates the establishment of a State Police to stamp out these terrorists.
“In My constituency, there are no good roads and the security of lives and property can’t be guaranteed. There are senseless killings going on there.
“It is on this note that I submit that there was a need for the creation of a state police to ensure security of lives and property all over the state”.