FIC REPORT (EBONYI STATE) – In a fresh push to boost highway safety and provide immediate economic relief under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has flagged off the second phase of its preventive road maintenance programme in Ebonyi State, engaging 50 local youths for the exercise.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony in Abakaliki, the Federal Road Maintenance Engineer for FERMA in Ebonyi State, Akinyeni Ojo, noted that the initiative combines critical infrastructure upkeep with direct grassroots empowerment to alleviate poverty.
Engr. Ojo revealed that the maintenance implemented through FERMA’s Public Works Unit, targets three core areas: clearing overgrown vegetation along federal corridors, desilting blocked drainage channels, and patching dangerous potholes, stressing that there are strategically aimed at cutting down travel times, preventing road flooding, and bolstering security for commuters.
He emphasised that clearing roadside bushes removes cover for criminal elements who ambush unsuspecting travelers.”The main reason for this programme is to reduce travelling time for motorists on federal highways and, secondly, to improve security. When vegetation along the highways is controlled, motorists will have better visibility, and there will be no hiding places for hoodlums to attack them,” he said.
Beyond security and visibility, Ojo explained that desilting the drains will ensure the free flow of stormwater to prevent flooding, while patching potholes will extend the overall lifespan of the federal roads across the state.
The newly engaged 50 youths will work on the project for a duration of one month, receiving temporary employment to cushion the effects of current economic challenges. This follows a similar rollout two months ago during the programme’s first phase.
By pairing routine preventive maintenance with short-term job creation, the agency aims to preserve vital national road assets and avoid expensive future reconstructions, while simultaneously delivering tangible economic support to host communities along Ebonyi’s federal highway corridors.
BAKARE LAURETTA
HOC FIC ABAKALIKI
13/11/2026
