Mimiko set to repair FG’s bad roads despite N7b indebtedness to state

DESPITE the cumulative debts by the Federal Government on roads repaired by Ondo State Government, Governor Olusegun Mimiko has promised to put up palliative measures to ease vehicular movement on the traumatic Akure-Ado Ekiti federal road.

While commenting on the state of infrastructure in the state at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos on Sunday, Mimiko dislosed that contractors had been mobilised to ensure completion of the Oba-Ile -Airport dual carriage way within the next three months.

He added that another road linking the recently opened Akure Shopping Mall on the Secretariat-Igbatoro road is being dualised from the Iyeomo Plaza road end of the capital city, through Parliament hotel-Arcade road, to the Mall.

Mimiko said that already, the state’s Asphalt Company has completed the drainage building on the road and should commence Asphalt laying this week.

He added that the same state’s road work company is being mobilised to put ameliorating measures on the Akure-Ado Ekiti road.

Although a federal road, Mimiko said the road is in dire need of attention as it is in a serious state of disrepair, stating that the state government opted to work on the road to soften its crushing effect on the people.

Mimiko said the Federal Government is at the moment owing the state about N7 billion, being money expended on the repair of federal roads in the state.

Meanwhile, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko has said that his administration has been able to institute and implement healthcare development programmes that have reduced the burden of diseases and mortality among the people of the state.

The governor made the declaration while declaring open the second Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria in Akure.

Mimiko  noted that his administration has transformed the state from having the worst health indices in the southwest zone of Nigeria to a globally recognised pacesetter in maternal and child healthcare.

He stressed further that the state government has also invested massively in wholesale health human capital development, noting that it has continued to facilitate sustained recruitment of key health personnel to bridge critical human resources gaps in hospitals and basic health centres in the state.

According to the governor, the University of Medical Sciences Ondo, which his administration established was to sustain and retain the health professionals who might wish to progress in their career.

He said: “The present administration has established the first of its kind Trauma and Surgical Centre to handle critical trauma and burn cases. The centre, together with the kidney care centre located in the same Medical Village aimed at reducing medical tourism from Nigeria to other countries.

“Thousands of pregnant women and children continued to benefit from these people-oriented programmes and they are already sign-posted as World Bank benchmarks for Africa on maternal and child healthcare.”