The House of Representatives has called on Federal Government to release funds to Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to rehabilitate Federal roads across the Six Geo-Political Zones in the Country.
Honourable Nnolim Nnaji who moved the motion at plenary on Tuesday, November 26, 2019 said by virtue of the provision of “section 7” of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency Act 2002, FERMA is required to ensure efficient and effective maintenance of all existing Federal trunk roads.
He expressed his concern that majority of the roads in the six geo political zones are in deplorable conditions, constituting nightmares to travelers and 95% of Nigerians rely on road transportation since it is more affordable than air transportation and less crowded to the only functional railway line which is Abuja-kaduna Rail line.
The House is aware that in year 2019 budget the sum of N24,699,470,715 was allocated to FERMA for capital projects and only a few percentage was released for capital project till date, and one of the major predicaments of FERMA in fulfilling its statutory mandate of ensuring efficient and effective maintenance of federal roads is lack of adequate funding.
It is noteworthy that, in the next 25 days, the 2019 festive period would commence as Nigerians would be traveling to their various towns and villages in the six Geo-political zones to celebrate with their families and loved ones.
The House is therefore convinced that if funds are urgently released to FERMA by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation out of the amount allocated for 2019 budget, it would go a long way to address the conditions of the roads in all the zones before December festive season.
Hence, the House urged the federal Ministry of Finance and Accountant General to release funds to FERMA to rehabilitate the roads before December festive season to avoid stress, gridlock, loss of lives and property that travelers go through as a result of bad and dangerous roads.
Olalere Taiwo
For: Head of press
SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT ON NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MATTERS-REPS
