The Managing Director, FERMA, Engr. Nuruddeen. A. Rafindadi, had in an interactive session with the senate committee on FERMA, Wednesday 9th October disclosed that the reason for the briefing was to enunciate the mandate, funding, operations and management of Federal roads in Nigeria. He said it was also to highlight the challenges of FERMA operations and to propose suggestions on resolving the challenges.
Rafindadi stated that FERMA was established by an Act of National Assembly of 2002 and an amendment of 2007, to monitor and maintain all Federal roads in Nigeria, and to do all the needful to maintain enough presence nationwide in carrying out this mandate.
He disclosed that FERMA operations include routine and periodic maintenance works, major and minor repair works, emergency road repair works, road and route marking, providing road furniture, Direct Labour interventions, construction and maintenance of hydraulic structures and zonal intervention (constituency) projects.
Furthermore, Rafindadi said that the Agency has a number of challenges that have affected the performance of delivering on its mandate. The major one being poor funding which he said is responsible for a lot of intervention not being done. Also, National insecurity across the country, rainy season and poor condition of service were enumerated as challenges the Agency grapples with in the discharge of its mandate.
The MD called on the Senate Committee to come to the aid of FERMA by ensuring that the implementation of the 5% user charge on Petroleum product is effected saying that this will dramatically increase the Agency’s capacity to work. He also enjoined them to help in creating a special funding to allow FERMA do projects which are outside FERMA mandate but necessarily requires FERMA intervention to alleviate the pains of the masses.
The Senate Committee members took time to appreciate the efforts of the Agency, and the challenges it is facing, promising to do all within it power to see that FERMA is well funded so as to enable it meet with the mandate for which it was created.
The Senate Committee on FERMA is chaired by Sen. Gershom Bassey with Sen. Abdullahi Kabir Barkiya as the Vice Chairman.
Maryam M. Sanusi (Mrs.)
Deputy Director (Information)
