Residents of some communities in Edo State have raised concerns over the alleged non-utilisation of payloaders, tippers, graders and other earth-moving equipment supplied by the state government to the 18 local government areas, despite the deplorable condition of rural roads and other community infrastructure.
The residents questioned the utilisation and maintenance of the equipment, which were provided to the councils to facilitate rural road construction and rehabilitation, improve access to farms, clear drainage channels, tackle erosion and support other grassroots development projects.
They expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as the inadequate deployment of the machinery, alleging that several communities continued to grapple with deteriorating roads, poor refuse management and other infrastructure challenges.
According to them, the equipment was provided to complement the state government’s efforts to rehabilitate major roads and improve infrastructure across the state.
They also questioned the maintenance culture of the councils and the commitment of their leadership to deploying the machinery for the benefit of residents.
A resident of Oredo Local Government Area, who spoke to LEADERSHIP on condition of anonymity, alleged that some of the equipment were lying idle while roads within the council remained in urgent need of rehabilitation.
“I don’t know if these equipment were given to the councils as decoration. How can you have these brand-new construction machines and refuse disposal equipment provided by the state government, yet access roads in deplorable conditions are not being fixed?” the resident queried.
Similarly, a resident of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Mr Idemudia Osifo, said the equipment was provided to facilitate the construction and rehabilitation of community roads.
He argued that the provision of the machinery by the state government should address complaints by local councils over the lack of equipment, which he said had been a major challenge to grassroots infrastructure development in the past.
Osifo urged the councils to make effective use of the equipment to address the infrastructural needs of their respective communities.
However, the Chairman of Egor Local Government Area, Hon. Osaro Eribo, on Thursday dismissed claims that the earth-moving equipment were not being utilised by the councils, insisting that his administration had deployed the machinery for road rehabilitation and waste evacuation.
Eribo, who spoke in an interview with LEADERSHIP, said the equipment had significantly reduced the council’s expenditure on hiring machinery for public works.
“As for Egor Local Government, you can see any of the equipment here. We have started grading roads. We go out almost on a daily basis with pay loaders to evacuate waste, while we use the graders during the dry season.
“In Egor, we are very happy because I know how much we spent in hiring equipment before our amiable governor brought these equipment. I don’t know if they are underutilised in other local governments.
“We have used them to fix roads across the 10 wards. I can’t thank the governor enough for providing the equipment,” he said.
