Ondo State Commissioner for Lands and Infrastructure, Engineer Raimi Aminu has appealed to road users plying the Akure to Ado Ekiti highway to exercise patience as the government was working towards the commencement of the road construction.
Engineer Aminu made the appeal while fielding questions from journalists on the current situation of the road.
Residents of Ondo and Ekiti states had last week protested the abandonment of Akure – Ado Ekiti road by the contractor handling the road project after being mobilised by the Federal government.
The protest which lasted for over three hours paralyzed vehicular movement along the road linking the two states.
The protesters who carried different placards called on President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate and sanction those behind the corruption surrounding the award of the contract.
Reacting, Aminu assured that the process of starting the construction had been set in motion by the governments of Ondo, Ekiti and the Federal Ministry of Works.
“A committee has been set up to ensure that the work is not delayed unnecessarily. It comprises the Ondo State Commissioner for Infrastructure, Ekiti State Commissioner for Finance and a representative of the Federal Ministry of Works. A private firm has also been assigned to carry out an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
The Commissioner explained that the ESIA was very important and was usually done before any major road project was embarked upon.
“The ESIA is being carried out to assist the government to know the benefits and positive impact of the road on the residents of the area. Any road project must not pose a threat or a difficulty to the people. Most road projects have their ESIA ready before construction work began. Any major road project must have a lot of benefits to the end users.
According to him, as soon as the ESIA report is submitted and the inclement weather improves, work will commence.
“I can assure the people that the contractor will move to a site with his equipment immediately after the issues I mentioned above are addressed.”
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