The House of Representatives has urged Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to include the reconstruction and dualisation of Ore-Ondo-Akure Federal Road in Ondo in 2024 budget and prioritise its funding.
The call was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion by Rep. Festus Ayodele Adefiranye (APC-Ondo) at plenary on Wednesday.
Moving the motion earlier, Adefiranye said that the Ore-Ondo-Akure Federal Road, in Ondo state which is approximately 88.14km has been earmarked for dualisation by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing many years ago without implementation.
According to the lawmaker, efforts by previous administration to construct the road have not yielded the desired results.
He said that the road which takes off from Akure, the capital of Ondo, traversed through several cities, towns and communities in Akure South, Ondo East, Ondo West and Odigbo Local Government Areas of the state.
Adefiranye explained that the road serves as a major link between Ondo state and other parts of the country as it provides direct access for commuters coming from North, South East and South South zones to Ore, the economic and industrial hub of Ondo.
“Aware that the reconstruction and dualisation of the road is very critical for economic and commercial development of the nation’s economy.
“It will serve as an economic boost for commuters and aid the transportation of agricultural and industrial produce from the North, South East and South South regions to Ondo state and beyond.
“The road is not only essential to the economic development of the state, it also ensures the safety and security of the people who depend on it due to its proximity to Lagos state the economic hub of the nation and the recently approved Ondo Deep Seaport projects which will set the nation on the path of economic prosperity.
“Due to the deplorable condition of the road, armed robbers, are taking advantage of the narrowness and non-dualisation of the road, by ambushing, dispossessing, robbing, kidnapping and killing commuters at will.
“Concerned that the deplorable state of the road has turned the highway into a death trap, as travelers meet their untimely death through accidents, therefore, the reoccurring fatal accidents on the road requires reconstruction and dualisation,” he said.
The House urged the Federal Government to award the road to a reliable and competent company and ensure its timely completion to ease the suffering of Nigerians and foster economic growth.
In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Rep. Benjamin Kalu who presided over the sitting, mandated the Committee on Works and Appropriations when constituted to ensure compliance with the resolution.
