Aregbesola blames poor roads on FG

BY GBENGA OLARINOYE
OSOGBO—Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has blamed the Federal Government for the poor state of the federal highways and major cause of road accidents that often lead to loss of lives and property across the country.

Speaking yesterday, when he received the Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC, Marshall, Osita Chidoka, the governor said his administration would ensure that carnage on the state roads was reduced by the introduction of specific speed limit.

According to him, “it is impossible for only one federal government agency, that is, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to be responsible for the maintenance of all the roads in a country as large as Nigeria. Honesty, it is a clear indication to inefficiency, incompetence and corruption. Even if angels who see the heaven and earth come to drive on our roads as it is now, God knows, there will be accidents”.

We must not forget the physical condition of the roads, the roads are terrible not because we are poor, but because the resources that are available is not being properly utilized.

Let there be federal government officials working with the state to ensure that whatever you intend to spend on the maintenance is not only justified, but accurate and once the roads are maintained, claims must be paid. That is how it is done everywhere in the world, where there is commitment, efficiency and accountability.”

Reiterating the commitment of his administration to partner with the FRSC to safety of lives on the roads, the governor said that part of what Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES) cadets would do was traffic management,  “We will ensure that it is difficult for anybody to die on our roads and before March next year we will reach that stage.

We will put people on our roads to ensure that the road users do not exceed a particular limit to the extent that even if you have accident with than limit, you will not die. Even if you want to die, we will not allow you to die on our roads”.

Earlier, Mr. Chidoka lamented the high rate of road accidents in Nigeria, lamenting that it had subjected several families to different untold grief.

He said for FRSC to achieve its goals, there was the need to increase its capacity at the state and local government levels.