Edo lawmakers grill Controller of Works over deplorable federal roads

Members of the Edo House of Assembly on Wednesday drilled the Federal Controller of Works in the state, Mr Babatunde Hassan, over the deplorable state of all federal roads in the state.

The lawmakers expressed displeasure over the abandonment of construction works on Benin-Auchi-Okene, Benin-/Ore, Benin-Sapele-Warri, Benin-Abraka, Benin-Igara-Ibilo roads and other federal roads in the state, thereby making them impassable for several years.

The Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, charged Mr. Hassan to instruct contractors handling all federal government road construction projects to go back to the site and complete the projects before the yuletide season.

He further directed him to press it on the appropriate authority on the need to fast-track the rehabilitation of all failed portions of the federal government roads in the state.

Earlier in his brief, the Federal Controller of Works, Babatunde Hassan, blamed the topography of the state on one hand, building on waterways and dumping of refuse in drainages, for the quick failure of the roads.

“As we speak, rehabilitation of the Ovia River bridge on the Benin-Sagamu-Lagos is ongoing, and other roads have been awarded reconstruction accordingly,” he said.