There’s no doubt that the Benin-Sapele Road is a Federal Government Trunk A road. Sadly, we all appreciate that the wrong designation of many intra-state roads (in Edo State and within virtually every other State) as Federal Trunk A is one of the unfortunate aspects of our federal system. The failed portion of Benin-Sapele is one such wrongly designated road.
Citizens must continue to put pressure on their legislative representatives at both federal and state levels to effect necessary alterations to the Constitution in order to remove the power over such roads from the Federal Government and assign the power to the Government of the States. This is the permanent solution to the buck-passing which we continue to witness whenever issues concerning the deplorable nature of such roads arise.
What’s happening with respect to the Edo State portion of Benin-Sapele Road is a classic example of the unprincipled distribution of powers which continues to afflict our federation in many other areas of our public life, with negative consequences for the standard of living of the people. That’s why the urgency of federal system reforms can never be overstated.
That said, should we accept the claim that a State Government was “stopped” or prevented from taking remedial action to fix a road plied by millions of its citizens, within its domain?
Government is a public institution, not a private venture. Are we to accept that some contractors who admitted to not having received formal letters of award from the Federal Government were able to stop or prevent a State Government from intervening in a matter of such monumental distress to the people of the State?
Let’s face it. Except the Federal Government actually uses the force of its armed and civil forces to stop a State Government from a course of action, there’s no other possible way to prevent or obstruct a State Government from a course of action. This is the reality. And that day will never come whereby the Federal and State Governments will come to a collusion point over a matter such as fixing a neglected (federal) road which is of enormous importance to the livelihood of a vast majority of the people, irrespective of status.
In light of the foregoing, I humbly join other well-meaning Edo citizens to appeal to the Government of Edo State to take immediate action to fix the failed portions of the Edo State end of Benin-Sapele Road irrespective of its (wrongful) designation as a Federal Trunk A Road.
I also appeal to Senator ’Neda Imaseun (Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District) to table the collapse of that portion of the road as a Matter of Urgent National Importance before the Senate of the Federal Republic.
Two years ago, I drafted a motion for Rt. Honourable Jude Ise-Idehen (of blessed memory) which he tabled before the House of Representatives calling for action to be taken by the Federal Government to fix the said road. Unfortunately, nothing was done. I am still prepared to work with Senator Imasuen and the two Members of the House of Representatives representing Ikpoba-Okha/Egor Federal Constituency and Oredo Federal Constituency to find a lasting solution to this unfortunate matter from the point of legislative governance.
Professor Edoba Omoregie, SAN,
National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies,
Abuja.
Photo Credit: The Guardian Nigeria