Date: 2012-07-04

Kwara State House of Assembly has urged the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, to construct feeder roads in Ilorin, the state capital, to check the increasing traffic congestion in the metropolis.

A member of the Assembly who represents Irepodun Constituency, Mr. David Bamidele, in a motion on notice on Friday, drew the attention of the House to the need to decongest Ilorin of traffic.

The motion was seconded by a member representing Essa-Shawo Constituency, Alhaji Hassan Oyeleke.

The House resolved that to ensure free flow of vehicular movement in the metropolis, there was an urgent need for the state government to open up alternative routes to reduce pressure on the existing roads.

A member representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency, Mr. Tope Olayonu, said the rapid development of the state was a contributory factor to the traffic congestion in Ilorin.

He called for the enlightenment of commercial drivers and commercial motorcyclists on the imperatives of obedience to traffic rules and regulations.

Members representing Ilorin East Constituency and Ekiti Constituency, Hajia Nimota Ibrahim, and Mrs. Ebun Owolabi, respectively, said there was need for proper projection and planning.

The Deputy Speaker of the House, Prof. Mohammed Yisa, identified indiscriminate establishment of illegal motor parks along major roads as one of the causes of traffic snarl.

He advocated that some roads in Ilorin be redesigned as one route to ease movement.

A legislator from Ilesha/Gwanara Constituency, Mr. Suleiman Sunaboro, and his counterpart from Okuta/Yashikira Constiuency, Mr.Sabi Idris, urged the state government to give more empowerment to Kwara State Road Maintenance Agency. They said the agency should be made more effective in ensuring regular repairs of roads in the state.

Legislators from Omupo and Odo-Ogun Constituencies, Alhaji Moshood Bakara, and Hajia Sikirat Anako, urged the state government to expand the scope of the state road traffic management agency to make it tackle gridlocks in Ilorin.

The Speaker, Mr. Razak Atunwa, then called on the state Ministry of Works to review and redesign the road layouts, roundabouts as well as U-turn points within the metropolis to ease vehicular movement in the state capital.