Delta calls for devolution of power over deplorable federal roads

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Delta State Government has decried the deplorable state of some federal roads in the state and called on the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address the situation.

Addressing a news conference in Asaba on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said that the deplorable state of federal roads across the country justified calls for devolution of power in the polity.

Aniagwu who was with the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Olisa Ifeajika, said that the state government had spent enormous resources on interventions on federal roads but pointed out that some others had become dilapidated, without attention from the Federal Government.

He stressed that devolving power to component units would provide them more funds to undertake the task of infrastructural development of the states, including roads, that seemed to have overwhelmed the Federal Government.

“We have continued to intervene on federal roads in the state since 2015, and some of you have had cause to accompany us on inspection of these federal roads.

“You also know that we have intervened three times on the Eku-Agbor-Uromi road which is also a federal road.

“Not long ago, we wanted to start another intervention on the road but the Federal Government said the road has been awarded to a contractor and that made it very difficult for us to do what we needed to do,” he said.

The commissioner disclosed that the attention of the state government had been drawn to a viral video on a failed part of Uromi(Edo)-Agbor(Delta) road and said that it was a federal road.