Worried over the dilapidated nature of inter- roads across the country, the Senate, Tuesday, asked the Federal Government to ensure the rehabilitation and repair of these roads in Nigeria in this 2018 fiscal year.
Against this backdrop, the Senate yesterday, mandated the Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South) led Committee on Works to, as a matter of urgency, investigate the award and execution of the Idah-Odolu-Nsukka-Adani-Otuocha-Onitsha federal road which has been in a state of total disrepair.
The Senate also urged the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, to, as an interim begin immediate repair of the bad portions of the Idah-Odolu-Nsukka-Adani-Otuocha-Onitsha federal road to make it motorable pending when full rehabilitation works can commence.
Resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion by Senator Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North) on the urgent need to repair and rehabilitate inter-state roads in Nigeria.”
The motion was co- sponsored by Senators Atai Aidoko (PDP, Kogi East) and Stella Ada Oduah (PDP, Anambra North).
Presenting his motion, Senator Utazi said that “This Senate: Aware that Nigeria has the second longest network of roads in Africa, after South Africa, with over 200,000 kilometres of roads in the country.
“Believes roads are important for communications, social integration, economic development and defence access as roads in Nigeria account for more than 95 per cent of the movement of people, goods and services.
“Aware that road as major infrastructure signposts the performance of a government in terms of provision of facilities to improve the quality of life of the citizenry and it is one of the instruments to bolster economic growth because building roads has many associated activities that spin into other facets of life.
“Concerned that decaying road infrastructure, with poor maintenance culture, is one of the major developmental challenges Nigeria is facing.
“Saddened that the poor maintenance of roads has led to loss of precious man-hours, vehicular disrepair, high accident rates and high fatalities, ambushes by criminals and rapists, and other socio-economic frustrations.”
