By Ozioruva Aliu

THE convoy of Governor Godwin Obaseki was stranded at the dilapidated and flooded RCC junction along the Benin – Sapele – Warri Highway that has become a nightmare to road users.

This is as the governor said conflicting federal government’s position on federal roads in states have made it impossible for his administration to intervene in fixing dilapidated federal roads across the state.

In the video of the incident which reportedly occurred last weekend is trending online, a background voice is heard urging viewers to share the video to show that it is payback time for leaders who fail to take needed action to help the people.

The background (male) voice said, “The governor is the one inside the vehicle but it has stopped moving. This is his vehicle; he cannot come down as he is ashamed. Everyone is feeling the brunt of bad policies in the country,” he added.

Obaseki said while on a visit to the Edo State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists that “The position and location of Edo particularly Benin City which has been a blessing is now becoming a curse. A blessing because we are very centrally located in Nigeria and we are one state where all major federal trunks pass through, we are a transport hub so you have the dual carriage coming from the West, one coming from the East, one coming from the South-South and one is supposed to be going to the north.

“And a federal policy relating to its roads is very confusing. In the past, we could go as a state rehabilitate and go and give the federal government the bill for refund. At one point they say states can apply to take over those roads but I am yet to see one state that they have given a federal road to.

“The Auchi-Ibillo Road was so bad that some of our contractors couldn’t go to their quarry site. We appealed to the Federal Government to do palliative work on that road but they refused, saying the road is under contract.

“If I want to do the same to Benin-Sapele Road, I am not allowed to because first it is not our road and secondly the federal government said it has already given it out to a contractor, so I cannot go and anything on that road so we are in a very difficult situation in Edo. It is like our hands and our legs are tied and they say we should run because the only government people know is their state government.

“I am not here to criticise the federal government but I am here to say that we are all Nigerians and it is only fair and proper that the federal government that has 52 percent of our revenue allocation should treat Nigerians that are human beings and that they all come from this country, you don’t have to vote for a federal government for the government to care about you but it is like there is nobody to talk to. Nobody cares about us in Abuja.”

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/07/why-we-cannot-fix-federal-roads-in-edo-obaseki/amp/

What does it cost the Government of Edo State to patch those extremely bad portions of the Federal roads in Edo State? Imagine a whole Governor swimming inside mud and water because its a Federal road and they're not ashamed.
They're still the ones who use the roads more than other citizens of the nation.

Wike of Rivers state did his best to repair FG roads in Rivers state. Besides they're the ones still using it according to Bola Tinubu.

I think the FGN should just hands off the construction of all Federal Roads to States.
Let every State be responsible for the roads within their domain, since they want FG to be doing everything.

Excuses! Excuses!! Excuses!!!

Lagos state do fix federal road na.

Tho the present governor of lagos state is the worst sofar with ALL his non working commissioned project.

river state under wike fix all federal roads

You better sit up

fuckJones:
river state under wike fix all federal roads

You’re wrong Wike didn’t fix FG roads, he constructed flyover bridges across the roads.
He didn’t even patch the oil-mill to Eleme/Onne expressway because he said it’s the responsibility of the FG.
Most FG roads constructed in Rivers state are done by Amaechi and the money was paid to Wike by FG.

We the citizens are perpetually the pawns in their nefarious political gimmicks.

Dem dey use our lives, destinies, and futures dey play okoso

Na God go punish all of una wey be the enemies of the state and we the citizens down or up to your last generations from whatever political parties una dey.

Bastards.

If I was the governor and the silly excuse above held true, I'd go ahead to fix the roads, mount toll plazas at the Kogi/Edo border, mount one at the Edo/Ondo borders, and another at the Edo/Delta border.

After doing the above, watch Edo rival Lagos in IGR and further put pay to the slogan "Edo no be Lagos".

Senseless leaders.

Wen they talk,you will think they’ve the good of the people at heart...nonsense

For those of you calling on Obaseki to fix FG roads, you guys don't remember the fight Lagos had with FG over FG roads that Lagos state fixed and FG refused to reimburse them several years ago.? Infact, the BAT was in charge of Lagos then.

Most state governors learned lessons from that incident. Since then....state road is fixed by state, FG road by FG.

The question, has he fixed all the state roads in Edo state?

nairalanda1:
For those of you calling on Obaseki to fix FG roads, you guys don't remember the fight Lagos had with FG over FG roads that Lagos state fixed and FG refused to reimburse them several years ago.? Infact, the BAT was in charge of Lagos then.

Most state governors learned lessons from that incident. Since then....state road is fixed by state, FG road by FG.

Oga this is not an excuses for the governor to abandon the nesesary roads be repaired in the name of federal government. All land belong to the state government of each state and the separation of federal road to a state Road is part of bad policy from previous leaders.

Fool you don't collect monthly allocations?

adekolaelect:
Oga this is not an excuses for the governor to abandon the nesesary roads be repaired in the name of federal government. All land belong to the state government of each state and the separation of federal road to a state Road is part of bad policy from previous leaders.

Er, yes they should, but they have learned from previous experience that repairing federal roads means the feds would take time to reimburse you...Rivers got reimbursed for federal roads repaired under Amaechi, in Wike's second term!....or not at all.