The Special Adviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state, on Media Projects, Crusoe Osagie, has said that the Governor cannot determine fuel pump prices in the state, urging the citizens to hold the Federal Government responsible for the hardship faced by the people.

Osagie made this known when he addressed a group of protesters made up of civil society organizations and activists who were at the Government House, Benin City, to lament the high cost of petroleum products which has affected the cost of living.

The media aide said Governor Obaseki cannot change the price of fuel or fix federal roads when such monies will not be repaid to the state to execute its own road projects, urging the protesters to channel their energies to calling on the Federal Government to awaken to its responsibilities.

Osagie said, “We have challenges with the Edo State roads that is why it will be difficult for us to take Edo people’s money to fix Federal Government roads. FG collects 54 per cent of FAAC and Local Governments and States share the rest 46 per cent. Federal Government is just one entity while States are 36.

“The Edo State Government can’t take its money to fix Federal Government roads when we know that such money will not come back to the State. We have State roads to be fixed like the Ekehuan Road, among others. We can’t leave State roads to fix Federal Government roads.

“Governor Godwin Obaseki has been calling on the Federal Government to help fix the federal roads in the State, including Benin-Abraka Road and the Benin Auchi Road where our lawmaker almost died, as well as the Benin Sapele Road and the Benin-Lagos Road at the Ovia River Bridge but the calls fell on deaf ears as the Federal Government has not listened.”

Osagie noted, “Fuel subsidy is everybody’s problem. The governor can’t restore subsidies or change the fuel price as you can tell the Federal Government yourself. However, we will collect the letter and hand it over to the governor for onward transmission to the President in Abuja,” he said.