The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi has cried out and openly declared that the Ekiti State Government is extremely broke.
Based on this development, he has requested the Federal Government to refund the over N21billion that the Ekiti State Government had earlier spent on some major federal roads across the State.
He is soliciting for the cooperation of the National Assembly especially the Nigerian Senate to be able to secure the refund of the monies spent by the State Government.
The Governor made the appeal while receiving in audience the Members of the Senate Committee on Works who were on an Inspection Visit on Tuesday to the Federal Roads and other projects in the State as part of their oversight function.
The Senate Committee on Works led by the Chairman, Senator Kabiru Gaya, was received on behalf of the Governor by his Deputy Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Assistant (Media) to the Deputy Governor, Mr. Odunayo Ogunmola and made available to PMParrot.com equally named other members of the Committee on the visit to include Senator Biodun Olujimi, Senator Clifford Odia and Senator Mustapha Sani among others who are some staff members of the National Assembly and officials of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) from Abuja.
Fayemi added that he was not yet satisfied with the number of Federal projects in the State noting that he would not relent until projects like Railways and Airport become reality in the State.
He revealed that no amount had been refunded despite the fact that the Honourable Minister for Works, Power and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) had earlier certified and confirmed the expenditure of N11billion out of the N21billion spent by the Ekiti State Government on the maintenance of Federal Roads across the State.
Speaking further through the Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, Fayemi said: “I want to solicit for the intervention of the Federal Government in the completion of the dualisation of Ado-Akure Road, the rehabilitation of Ado-Aramoko-Ijero Road, Ado-Ifaki-Ilorin Road and Ifaki-Omuo Road. I wish to use this opportunity of your visit to also present the following request to you, trusting that you will use your good offices to help us. One of it is the Ado-Ifaki-Ilorin Road, part of which was reconstructed the other time, but were badly done, we wish you to travel on these roads, especially Ado-Ilorin Road. Apart from that, the Ifaki-Omuo Road is also begging for a total reconstruction.
“It is a journey that should not take more than an hour but now takes two hours, thirty minutes to get to the town. The Ado-Ikare Road needs to also be dualized, we have done part of it. It is my hope and prayer that the outcome of this tour will have a significant and positive impact on the infrastructural development of this Zone”, the Governor stated.
While responding to the demands of the Governor, the Chairman of Senate Committee on Works, Senator Gaya promised that more Federal Roads Projects in Ekiti State would be included in the 2019 Budget.
Gaya said: “I learnt that there were few projects done by Federal Government in the State even though Senator Biodun Olujimi and Senator
Fatimat Raji Rasaki are working hard to ensure that new projects come into the State. Presently we are working on the Efon Alaaye-Itawure-Iwaraja Road. Hopefully, the Contractor handling the Project will deliver it by March 2019. I think Ekiti State needs more roads by the Federal Government and I believe Governor Fayemi is dynamic and very hardworking to achieve and actualise this feat”.
“We have gone round to see the roads, have seen where we want the contractors to move fast and some, we asked for the termination of their contracts because we will not allow people to misuse government money for personal interests”, Senator Gaya submitted.
Packaged by Emmanuel Adeniran
