The Oyo State Government on Sunday said the maintenance of roads across the state was a responsibility of all stakeholders and it has since shown this by its commitment.
Mr Olugbenga Akintola, the Special Adviser to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi on Infrastructure, said this was why the state government has continued to be committed to roads’ maintenance.
“This is why the Oyo State Public Works Department (OYPWD) has commenced roads repair and rehabilitation since the beginning of the dry season,’’ he said in a statement in Ibadan.
The state government has recently commenced the rehabilitation of some roads which are in a deplorable state across Ibadan metropolis.
The Special Adviser however explained that the slow pace of work by the agency’s officials during the festive season was due to the end-of-year holidays by the companies supplying asphalt.
He said the agency had continued to sketch-mark some of the roads to be rehabilitated, adding that the maintenance efforts would cut across the state.
“We have been making a lot of efforts in the rehabilitation of our roads in Ibadan. Currently we are fixing all the bad roads within the city.
“We are committed to having a zero level tolerance for potholes across the state and we want to maximise the opportunity of this dry season to maintain the roads.
“Our maintenance efforts will be of high quality and we shall endeavour to complete the works in due course.
“Our maintenance activities always cut across the seven geo-political zones of the state. So, we will still extend our services to other areas,’’ Akintola said.
He then appealed to the people of the state, especially those in other zones outside Ibadan, to bear with the state government on the matter.
“We will strive to ensure that the maintenance cut across all the zones in the state,” the governor’s adviser said.
He noted that the maintenance of roads was a collective responsibility and not just that of government alone.
“This is why people should desist from burning tyres, cooking and setting up mechanical workshops on our roads.
“They should also avoid pouring petroleum and associated products like petrol, diesel, engine oil, brake oil and grease on the roads, while domestic waste water should be properly channeled into the right drains.
“Our people should stop plying roads with excessive axle loads and we must stop indiscriminate cutting and digging of the roads.
“We must desist from driving vehicles with flat tyres on roads with asphalt pavements, as public roads are our collective heritage and we must use it appropriately,” Akintola added. (NAN)
