In a recent gathering at the Government House in Benin City, a group of protesters, consisting of civil society organizations and activists, expressed their concerns over the escalating cost of petroleum products.
This surge in fuel prices has adversely affected the standard of living and imposed hardships on the people of Edo State.
During the event, Crusoe Osagie, the Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media Projects, addressed the crowd.
He emphasized that Governor Godwin Obaseki cannot unilaterally influence fuel prices or undertake repairs on federal roads.
The state’s funds cannot be utilized for fixing federal roads without assurance of reimbursement from the Federal Government, which is responsible for maintaining them.
Osagie urged the protesters to direct their efforts towards holding the Federal Government accountable for its responsibilities.
He pointed out that the Federal Government receives 54 percent of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), while the remaining 46 percent is shared among local governments and states.
Considering this financial structure, it would be impractical for Edo State to allocate funds meant for state projects to repair federal roads.
Governor Obaseki has been actively advocating for the Federal Government’s assistance in addressing the poor state of federal roads in the state, such as the Benin-Abraka Road, Benin-Auchi Road, Benin-Sapele Road, and Benin-Lagos Road at the Ovia River bridge.
However, these calls seem to have fallen on deaf ears, leaving the state to deal with the consequences.
Regarding the fuel price increase, Osagie clarified that the governor does not possess the authority to unilaterally change the prices as demanded by the protesters.
Instead, he assured the gathering that their grievances would be communicated through a letter to the appropriate authorities for consideration.
In response to allegations of increased federal allocation to the state, Osagie dispelled such claims, asserting that no such increment had occurred.
He urged the protesters to refrain from spreading misinformation and encouraged them to present their statements with verified facts.
As the situation remains unresolved, the people of Edo State continue to grapple with the challenges posed by the poor state of federal roads and the impact of the fuel price hike.
The onus now lies on the Federal Government to address these pressing concerns and take action to alleviate the hardships faced by the citizens.
