Igbini slams Obaseki, ex-gov Okowa

By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South

A former Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, governorship candidate in Delta State, Emmanuel Igbini, has slammed the Edo and Delta State Governments for allowing the Benin-Sapele – Warri section of the East-West expressway to deteriorate to the current eyesore without fixing it.

He, particularly, blamed Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and the immediate past former governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, for paying scant attention to the sufferings of their citizens, and other Nigerians using the federal road, even if the Federal Government failed in it’s duty.

Obviously piqued by the explosion of a petrol tanker, which tumbled at the Ologbo-Ugbenu end of the rickety road, weekend, he said, “I read the condolence messages released by the governors of Edo and Delta States with both of them blaming the deaths, destruction of vehicles, and properties on the Federal Government for allegedly not living up to its responsibility of maintaining the Benin-Warri road, and this section of the road, in particular.”

” Let me state very clearly that Governors Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and the immediate past governor of Delta State , Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa are to blame the more for this avoidable and sad loss of precious lives at the Ologbo-Ugbenu axis, rather than the Federal Government that has hundreds of similar failed sections of roads across the country to attend to.

“While it is true that the Benin-Warri expressway is constitutionally the responsibility of the Federal Government , it is also a fact that this does not bar the Delta and Edo State governments from intervening to fix the failed section of this road, and other similar roads in their states.

“It is distinguishable that former governors , Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta) Emmanuel and Senator Adams Oshiomole, during their tenures, took up the responsibility of maintaining/ rehabilitating this road and other Trunk A Roads in their states for the sole reason of preventing loss of precious lives and properties.

“As the then Director General of the Delta State Direct Labour Agency, (DLA), acting on the directive of then governor, Uduaghan, DLA and other contractors maintained and rehabilitated failed sections of this road and other federal roads in Delta State.

“What more! It is a fact that this Ologbo-Ugbenu section of the Warri-Benin road began to collapse again far back four to five years ago with commuters, and members of the communities crying out daily to the federal, Edo and Delta State governments for urgent interventions to save their lives.

“Rather than heed the calls, both then governors of Edo and Delta States insisted it was the responsibility of the Federal Government, the same argument regrettably restated again by governors of Edo and Delta States.

“They both must be reminded that their primary constitutional duty is the safety and security of people living in , and transiting through their states. Regular maintenance of all roads in their states is part of this constitutional duty.

“It is also very important for me to remind Nigerians that it has remained the policy of the past, and present Federal Governments to always refund state governments that embark on maintaining or rehabilitating federal roads in their states, and that Edo and Delta governments had benefited from such refunds.

“Therefore, there is no justification for them to allow these deaths of precious lives on any federal road in their respective states.

“I call on both Governors Sheriff Oborevwori and Godwin Obaseki to without delay, deploy their contractors to fix all collapsed sections of this road, and all other failed sections of federal and state roads in their states.