Doyin Okupe, a former senior special assistant on public affairs to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, has replied to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who claimed that the previous administration did not construct a single road in the last 10 years. Okupe explained that the efforts of the previous government in the last decade were devoted to the repair of roads as over 70% of them were completely unmotorable.
However, he also listed new roads that were constructed by the federal government between 2006 and 2015. “His Excellency, Prof Yemi Osinbajo said the federal government did not construct a single new road in the last 10 years. The VP probably said this in view of the fact that based on reports made available to him almost 98% of government effort in the last decade has been devoted to roads rehabilitation.
“The federal road network, going by the colonial road master plan, is about 35,000 km in length. By 2007, over 70% of these roads were completely unmotorable. No responsible government of the people will set aside 35000km of dilapidated and nonfunctional, often single lane roads, and embark on the construction of new ones. “Therefore, the efforts of the federal government in the last 10 years has been focused on the repair, rehabilitation, expansion and dualization of most of the interstate and axial road network nationwide. Examples are Benin/ Ore, kano / Kaduna, Enugu/port Harcourt, Ibadan/Ilorin, Lokoja/abaji/Abuja, Lagos/ Ibadan to mention just a few of about 65 such road projects. “During the Goodluck Jonathan administration the scale and proficiency was taken to a sublime level, with a total of 25000km of the 35000km, being completely rehabilitated. This fact was confirmed by the new minister for works Babatunde Raji at his maiden Press Conference.
“However, the federal government between 2006 to 2015,(9yrs) constructed the following new roads. 1. Loko Oweto link RD.(between nassarawa and Benue state. 2. Musa Yaradua (Abuja airport RD) 10 lanes . 3. Kubwa RD(Murtala Mohammed RD) 10 lanes fct. 4. Good luck Jonathan rd. 10 lanes. Fct 5. East-West RD 346km. Started by OBJ in 2006. GEJ recommenced and is 90% complete. 6. Benin Byepass. (OBJ)” Meanwhile, Reno Omokri, a pastor and Jonathan’s former special assistant on new media, also responded to Osinbajo.
