The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has expressed worry at the deplorable state of federal roads in the state.

He stated that the bad roads had caused many avoidable accidents were preventing the free movement of people and goods, thus retarding the socio-economic activities of the state.

He listed some of the bad federal roads in the state as Ilorin-Ajase-Ipo Road, Jebba Road, Kaiama-Baruteen Road and Ilorin-Kabba Road.

Ahmed, in an interview in Ilorin, said the Federal Government would need to pay about N3bn to the state government being the total amount it had spent on the rehabilitation/reconstruction of the federal roads in the state.

He said the state government’s priority on roads construction and rehabilitation was because it understood that efficient transportation and good roads’ network remained critical to economic growth and development.

He said the state government had invested heavily in roads construction/rehabilitation in the past three years, adding that it would continue to prioritise road construction/rehabilitation.

Ahmed said, “The plan of the current administration for the road sector is to complete all inherited projects and establish new ones, especially since we’re convinced that good roads will bring success to other sectors of the economy.

“The state government embarked on massive rehabilitation of roads and construction of new ones. Believing in continuity, we’ve completed most of the roads I inherited from my predecessor, Senator Bukola Saraki, and others are still ongoing.”

According to him, the priority given to road shows the sector is one of the cardinal points of the agenda of this administration.

“For example, of the 38 new asphalted roads started by the current administration, 28 have been completed so far. These include Ejiba Road, Ilorin; Olaolu-CBN Quarters, Stadium Road;

Ayedun-Ilale Road; Kulende-Oyun Bridge; Share Township Road, Fate Road; Oke Ode-Share Road, Oke Andi-Obafemi Taoheed, Oro-Ijomu Oro Road,” he said.

The governor gave some of the inherited and completed roads as Gamo-Afon Road, Lafiagi Township Road, Ahmadu Bello Road, Ilorin, Zango-Akerebiata Road, and Offa-Ira Road.

“In addition, rural/feeder roads with a total length of 287km have been completed while 81km are ongoing. Today, there is marked improvement in vehicular movement in many towns and villages in the state. And an investment friendly environment such as this has brought forth an increase in investments in the state,” he said.

The governor said his administration planned to spend N4.76bn on roads in 2015, adding efforts would be geared towards the completion of the ongoing road projects embarked upon by his administration.

He said a number of other road projects had been slated for execution this year to boost the socio-economic life of the people and the state.

According to him, the roads include the 62km Kaiama-Kishi Road in Kiama; 32.8km Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara Road Phase I in Baruten; 17km Arobadi-Maigida Road in Moro; 7.5km Egbejila-Asa Dam Road in Ilorin West; 2.65km Oke-Opin Township Road in Ekiti LGA; 1.2km Old Garage Central Mosque Road, Lafiagi in Edu LGA and one kilometre Ogbondoroko Township Road in Asa LGA.

Ahmed also identified other rural roads for execution in 2105 as five-kilometer Elere Junction – Owode Oja Road in Asa LGA; 36km Shinawu-Gankodun-Kenu Road in Baruten LGA; 1.9km Kusogi water works Road in Edu LGA; six kilometre Igbaja Township Road in Ifelodun LGA; 1.2km Okemale-Igbo-Ogo road, Osi in Ekiti LGA and 1.5km Oke-Oyi Township Road in Ilorin East LGA.

Ahmed said, “Other rural roads this administration intends to execute in 2015 include 0.80 kilometre Asunara Road in Ilorin South LGA; 0.9km Asimau Hospital Road and Temidire Street, Eruda in Ilorin West LGA; 7.8km Omu-Aran – Isanlu-Isin Road in

Irepodun LGA; 29.7km Edidi-Alla-Odo-Eku – Agunjin Road in Isin LGA; 58km Kanikoko-Gbajibo Road in Kaiama LGA; 1.3km Oloru Township Road/completion of Station Road, Jebba in Moro LGA and the four-kilometre Atari Road in Offa LGA.