Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has said the inclusion of a number of federal roads in the State in the 2016 federal budget was the best thing that has happened to the state in the last 16 years from the Central Government.

Governor Ahmed said this at the media chat with journalists to mark the first year of his second term in office and the 2016 Democracy Day.

The Governor listed the federal roads captured in the 2016 federal government budget for reconstruction as including Share-Patigi Kogi boundary road, Kaiama-Kishi road and Ajasse-Erinle road.

According to him, if the listed federal road projects are funded, it will bring relief to the State governments’ resources as funds earlier earmarked for the roads would be used for other developmental projects in the state.

”This is the best thing that has happened to Kwara in the last 16 years that I know. For the first time we are getting federal projects in the state coming into federal budget, projects that we could have spent our money. When was the last time we had the opportunity of been noticed and get federal projects at the federal level? “ He remarked.

Dr Ahmed, who identified lack of maintenance culture as the major hindrance to development of infrastructure in the country, attributed the slow pace of infrastructure development and poor maintenance culture to too much politicking affecting governance in the country.

This, the governor said, had not allowed Nigerians to pay attention and resources to areas that could sustain the tempo of development.

On the Niger Delta militancy and blowing up of pipelines, Governor Ahmed advised the militants to embrace dialogue with the Federal Government as dialogue remains the best way of resolving conflicts.

“The bursting of pipeline is a setback for the country. And whatever grievances they have, which I am sure is not unconnected with economic benefit anyway, there are better ways this could be resolved through dialogue”, he said.