In furtherance of its resolve to provide quality and durable road access to its citizenry, the Ekiti State government has commenced the setting up of an asphalt plant in Ado-Ekiti, the State capital.
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]peaking with newsmen in Ado Ekiti shortly after inspecting some ongoing projects, the Special Adviser on Road/Transport and Infrastructure, Hon. Sunday Adunmo said the state government has cleared the site where the asphalt plant and other road construction equipment would be located.
The asphalt plant and road construction equipment were purchased by the Kayode Fayemi-led administration during his first tenure but were left unused by his successor.
The Special Adviser said the vision of the Fayemi-led government is to ensure that all Ekiti roads are motorable and free of potholes; adding that the government would, on completion of rehabilitation works on bad roads in Ado Ekiti, shift attention to other towns in the State.
“The last place we visited is for Public Works Department. That’s where we are going to mount our asphalt plant, we have an idle asphalt plant that Governor Fayemi procured in 2013 and which is lying idle at the Public Works department. So, we are mounting it to fix our roads. Operation no-pothole will begin as soon as that is done. And we will from there continue to tar our streets.
“Most streets in Ado Ekiti and other towns will be taken care of by the Public Works. So the idea of contracting every of our projects out will stop immediately except if they are bigger ones that government thinks should be given out to external or local contractors”, he said.
Speaking on ongoing work on the multibillion Naira civic centre project, Adunmo said the Fayemi-led administration is still committed to delivering the project to Ekiti people by December 2019 which the governor promised.
He said the roofing of the gigantic building has commenced and will hopefully be completed by next week.
The Special Adviser who stated that the project is now 60% completed explained that the civic centre, on completion, will provide employment opportunity for about 1000 people as the building is made up of a shopping mall, cinema, library and event halls which will require the services of unemployed people.
He added that there will be provision for at least 1700 parking lots which will help checkmate traffic congestion that may be caused by the prospective people patronizing the various business sections of the multipurpose civic centre.
A 21-year old student of Ekiti State University Ado Ekiti, Johnson Ajayi commended the Fayemi-led government for providing such a facility in the centre of the state capital; saying that the project will not only attract people to the State but will provide recreation facilities as well as job opportunities for the youth.
He however urged the government to provide e-library facilities in the complex to enable readers move with technological trends.
