Govt should beg locked-up communities – Oni

By Gbenga Ariyibi

ADO-EKITI—Ekiti State governor, Engr Segun Oni has said government at all levels ought to tendered an unreserved apology to communities that are locked-up due to lack  of access roads.

The governor was speaking in Ado Ekiti, yesterday while receiving the Ponyon community in Yagba Local Government of Kogi who had paid him a thank-you visit over the construction of 11 .64km road linking Ponyon to Irele in Ikole Local Government area of the state

Oni said his government would remain committed to the task of opening up communities in the State.

He said it was criminal for people to be locked-up  because of government’s inability to provide access roads, adding that government should be full of apologies to the communities that have been locked-up for years.

“We are opening up communities and we will continue to do that without any apology.

“I was confronted with the reality of the necessity of access roads during the campaign for the rerun election last year when we went to Iyemero, Ikole Local Government. That town never had road since it was founded.

“When we got to Iyemero, the people were singing and dancing, saying I have transformed their lives by giving them money. It was when I asked one of their leaders to explain what they meant that the crowd was told that 200 heaps of cassava that used to sell for N3,500 before the road was constructed is now being sold for N42,000. I now further realised the full import of road because a lot of people had been locked-up to disadvantage by successive governments and this is criminal,” Governor Oni said

Speaking earlier, the  traditional ruler of the  of the community, Oba Bola Ikuponiyi commended Oni for uplifting the community.

“we are short of words and expressions to demonstrate how deeply we have been positively touched by this unmerited favour which God Almighty has used you to give to us.”