Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has called on the Federal Government and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to make available, special funds to some states that had put infrastructure in place to prevent flooding.
Amosun, who noted that giving fund and other relief materials to the states ravaged by flood by NEMA is good, however argued that states that had worked to prevent such disaster, should also be rewarded with fund as a form of encouragement.
The governor disclosed that he had raised the issue at a National Executive Economic meeting held recently in Abuja, and expressed hope that NEMA will work on his proposal.
Amosun spoke on Friday at a Town Hall meeting on the 2018 budget, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, the state capital.
The meeting was attended by public servants, professional bodies, non governmental organisations, civil society organisations, trade unions, community development organisations among others.
Speaking further, Amosun, recalled that prior to his assumption of office in 2011, many locations in the state, particularly, Abeokuta, Ijebu Ode and Ota, were prone to and ravaged by flood. He pointed out that through his administration’s massive infrastructural development, the perennial flooding has now become history.
According to him, the efforts of his government in that direction, should rather be rewarded by the federal government in order to do more.
On the deplorable conditions of some federal roads in the state, Amosun admitted that there is huge infrastructural deficit generally in the country, and expressed his administration’s readiness to fix some of the roads as soon as fund is available.
He, however, expressed worry over the damage being done to the newly constructed roads in the state, by trucks that transport cement products. According to him, some of the roads built for semi urban purposes, with capacity to carry 35 to 40 tonnes vehicles, are being plied by 60 tonnes vehicles.
Amosun, who bemoaned the disappearance of weigh bridges on roads in Nigeria, said the state government will soon put measures in place to address the issue.
The governor, explained that the town hall meeting on 2018 budget, became imperative to get the input of citizens into the budget preparation.
He added that “the meeting is also practical expression of true democracy where people’s decision were recognised and appreciated in running the affairs of the state”.
Earlier in her speech, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Adenrele Adesina, said the meeting was organised to sensitize the citizens to the government’s plans and priority projects for 2018, as well as to obtain their thoughts and contributions.
