…decries condition of federal roads in Edo
By Nosakhare Agbonigiarhuoyi
The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has issued a stern warning to persons planning to disrupt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s rally scheduled for Saturday, October 22, 2022, to desist from the plot as the security agencies have been alerted about the plot.
Obaseki gave the warning while briefing journalists on the issues discussed at Friday’s Security Council meeting held in Government House, Benin City, the State capital.
He said: “We have security information that they are planning to come and disrupt the rally. We have taken this report very seriously, because I was in Kaduna on Monday for a PDP rally where we saw firsthand how people came into the crowds and started stabbing our party members who came for their rally. People had to disperse earlier than they wanted to.”
“I have informed the security agencies that that sort of action will not be tolerated in Edo State. If we find anybody attempting to disrupt our rally tomorrow, the consequences will be grave for those people or those groups of people,” he warned.
Obaseki also called on the Federal Government to carry out emergency repairs on the federal roads leading to Edo State.
According to him, this problem is bound to result in the shortage of supply of foodstuff, fuel and other goods; as vehicles which transport these goods may not be willing to go through these roads.
The Governor said: “We have just discussed with the security agencies and to alert the security apparatus in the country that we have a national crisis in Edo. Something needs to be done immediately, otherwise, the foodstuff, fuel and other goods cannot pass through the federal roads, and scarcities are beginning to occur in parts of the country.
“Communities around that axis rightly have refused to allow these heavy trucks to pass through their community roads because these trucks are not designed for those roads. Their fear is that their roads will be destroyed just the way those federal roads have been destroyed, and they are protesting, rightly so.”
He recalled, “I raised the same alarm to the relevant authority before the advent of the heavy rain you saw in the last few weeks, and I am surprised and really shocked that they didn’t feel that it is important enough that they should do anything about these roads.
“So we have a national crisis; and the federal authorities, please for the sake of this country, come and help us in Edo State. Just help us by repairing the federal roads. There is the need to undertake emergency palliative measures so that people and their goods can continue to move.”
