Ondo State begins rehabilitation of federal roads

Governor Olusegun Mimiko has approved a special intervention programme to give attention to the deplorable conditions of some federal roads in Ondo State.

At a media briefing in Akure yesterday, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade and the Chairman of the Ondo State Agency for Roads Maintenance and Construction (OSARMCO), Kehinde Oshikoya, said the government was giving the roads utmost priority.

According to Akinmade, the programme tagged, “Emergency repairs,” will commence with the dilapidated Owo-Ikare road in the northern senatorial district.

He said Dr. Mimiko approved the emergency repair programme to ameliorate the challenges being faced by motorists on the federal roads in the state including the Owo -Ikare road.

The commissioner appealed to the Federal Government to refund to the state some money being owed it on roads rehabilitation to cushion the overbearing burdens of fixing federal and local roads by the state, especially at a time of recession.

Akinmade noted that the role of motorable roads in reshaping the economy of a people can not be overemphasized, urging the government to consider the plight of those who rely on them to eke out a living and ensure that the owed funds are paid to the state to enable the state government to work

Osikoya said one rehabilitation team would commence work at the Owo axis immediately, while another would start massive rehabilitation from the Ikare axis.

The OSARMCO chairman said the quality and pace at which the agency executes projects would again be demonstrated on this road.

The rehabilitation, he said will ensure that the road users do not wait endlessly for the Federal Government.

The state government had earlier commenced rehabilitation of Akure-Ondo road and Akure-Ado Ekiti road.