The Ekiti State House of Assembly has called for provision of more project monitoring vehicles and prompt payment of contractors working on roads across the
state, lamenting the spate of abandoned road projects by the immediate-past administration.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant (Media) to the House Speaker, Stephen Gbadamosi, the call was made at plenary of the Assembly on Thursday when the submitted House Committee on Works and Transport’s report was deliberated upon.
The report covers the period between June 2015 and August 2016 of the Fifth Assembly.
Members of the House, including, the Deputy Speaker, Right Honourable Segun Adewumi; Honourables Gboyega Aribisogan, Ayodele Fajemilehin, Ekundayo Akinleye and Chief (Mrs) Cecilia Dada, observed that there were many bad and uncompleted roads that were not included in the report.
The Speaker, Right Honourable (Pastor) Kola Oluwawole, also observed that Ilupeju – Ire-Ekiti, Ikere – Igbara Odo roads, among others, were in states of disrepair and needed urgent attention.
He added that many awarded road projects in the state were either abandoned or uncompleted, citing the example of Otun – Osan road linking Ora in Osun State which had been almost 80 percent completed.
“There should be clarion call for return to all abandoned and uncompleted road projects in the state. We know that the executive is working tirelessly to ensure all is these are included in next year’s budget, but all hands must be on deck,” he said.
Chairman, House Committee on Works and Transport, Honourable Afolabi Akanni, said the committee’s challenge was inadequate provision for vehicles to convey members to some of the places to perform their oversight functions, calling on government to make more operational vehicles available to the lawmakers.
The House resolved that all abandoned road project in the state should be reconsidered and completed, especially as some of them had reached advanced state of completion.
Also, the House Committee on Security and Special Services submitted the report of it activities in the First Session of the Fifth Assembly to the House.