Kikio.ng sighted an open letter written to the Ekiti State Government by one Com. Sir Maxwell Abiodun G. Awoyemi. The letter titled “ PUBLIC COMPLAINTS LETTER ON THE STATE OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, ADO EKITI ROAD: A CALL FOR INTERVENTION OF EKITI STATE GOVERNMENT” details the struggling of public and residence on the Federal Polytechnic road, Ado Ekiti.
According to the public complaint letter the road’s deplorable state has become a “death trap” due to heavy traffic, particularly affecting students, staff, and local commuters. Despite past efforts by unions and private entities like Afe Babalola University to patch parts of the road, these measures are no longer adequate.
The unions urge the state to provide immediate patchwork solutions and construct an alternative route to the Polytechnic campus as they await promised federal road renovations.
Before reading, it can be noted that the Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, had said the road repairs would commence soon.
He said “Members of the National Assembly told me to choose one of the federal roads in the state and they will try to put it in the budget, and I choose Ado-Ijan – Iluomoba road because it is on this road that we have the Airport, Knowledge zone, Smart school, Afe Babalola University, Federal Polytechnic and Institute of Transport Technology, among others.
“They did not only get the road into the budget, they also invited the Minister of Works to personally inspect the road and the Federal Executive Council has awarded the road and work will commence on the road in the next one week”.
FULL LETTER BELOW;
The Executive Governor
Ekit State Government
Ado Ekiti
Ektit State
Nigeria.
Your Excellency,
PUBLIC COMPLAINTS LETTER ON THE STATE OF FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC, ADO EKITI ROAD: A CALL FOR INTERVENTION OF EKITI STATE GOVERNMENT
I humbly write the office of the people’s Governor to acquaint you with untold hardship that commuters have been subjected to on daily basis along Federal Polytechnic Ado road.
Sir, the three Staff Unions in Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti had severally made passionate call to your office, to the office of Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Controller General, Federal Ministry of Works for the intervention of the State Government and the offices concerned.
We also met with the Honourable Commissioner for Works on Tuesday 14th May, 2024 where the three Unions sought for the intervention of the state Government on the deplorable state of Federal Polytechnic, road network but as we speak, we waited without any hope.
However, I thought it well this morning with great concern and with what commuters experienced yesterday during heavy downpour to intimate your office, the deplorable state of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-EKiti road and to let you know that this not what we deserve as citizens of Ekiti.
It is to be noted incontrovertibly that the said road has turned to a death trap for the commuters using the road, majority of whom are students, staffers of the Polytechnic and employees of Afe Babalola University. You may wish to note that the road being a Federal road always has a heavy traffic of buses, lorries and trailers moving to and fro Ado-EKiti and its adjoining towns. It is also an important major road linking Ondo and Kogi States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory. Hence, an urgent attention is required to avoid unnecessary road calamities.
It may interest you, however, to know that the three Staff Unions had made appreciable efforts in the past to fix some parts of the road by setting aside funds from the Union purses, and by extension encouraging their members to make personal/voluntary donations. The state of the road now has gone far beyond intermittent ‘patching’ and filling of potholes.
In recent time, Aare Afe Babalola. (SAN) who is a founder of Afe Babalola University, engaged in rigorous patching of the road network, someone will be surprise that if a private organisation can be doing this for community on the premise of Community service, then what is the Government doing. What if we don’t have Afe Babalola University along this Road?? the case would have been pathetic.
I can not but mention that in the past Administration in Nigeria, we have a former Governor of this State who is Chairman of Nigeria Governor Forum, a member of House Representative who served as Chairman House Committee on FERMA, then we should ask ourselves this rhetorical question. IS EKITI PART OF NIGERIA. OR WHAT IS OUR LEADERS DOING?
To be specific. there is no Federal Road network that enter Ekiti that anyone can be proud of neither there is any substantial project from Federal Government even when we have our people at the helm of affairs at Federal level.
Your Excellency, we make bold to say, and without equivocation that the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-EKiti staffers and Afe Bablola University pay excruciating taxes to the coffers of the Government on monthly basis and up till this moment, we have not been found wanting in our civic responsibilities, hence, we deserve better treatment from Government. .
You will recall that the three staff Unions staged a peaceful demonstration recently to call the attention of both the State and Federal Government.
Thereafter, we heard via news that the road have been awarded and the construction have commenced from Ikare, Ondo State. We are a bit surprised that why will the contractor start from Ikare, Ondo State when we are facing serious challenge here in Ado Ekiti. We conclude that the contract awarded is tactics to deceive people and further subject people to pitiable state of mind.
As a pressure group who will always stand for the interest of people, we are aware that the Fund for the project will be reviewed on the premise that the earlier proposal was for meant for rehabilitation. Now that Honourable Minister has announced that the road will be dualizes, it is obvious that it will take a while before the construction reach Ado Ekiti particularly Polytechnic road.
Our Prayers
- While we wait for Federal Government to finalise their position of the said road, we request that Ekiti State Government to fix a State road that link directly to our campus from Odo Ado, Ado Local Government Road to Ita-Eku down to Ita-Alaoro settlement.
- For the generality of people, we request/recommend that Government through the Ministry of Works or Public works to kindly engage in patching of the flash points along the road. Particularly, Opposite Immigration Office, Opposite Silo, Ado Grammar School, Opposite Abound Filling station. This is our humble plea
Our lives deserve safety!
Signed.
Com. Sir Maxwell Abiodun G. Awoyemi.
NASU Secretary
Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti.
