Bad Road Condition: FG Considers Increased Funding For FERMA

Oct 8, 2011 – Bad Road Condition: FG Considers Increased Funding For FERMA

 As part of the efforts to put the country’s deplorable roads in order, the Federal Government has concluded arrangement to reposition the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA).

In this direction, the agency funding would be up for review, with the purpose of increasing its capacity and reposition it to meet  its responsibility of road maintenance across the country.

The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, said this yesterday after briefing the Vice President, Namadi Sambo on the condition of the roads.
Besides, he said states road maintenance agencies would also be supported so that they could be more productive.
The Federal Government, according to him, is determined to improve the roads and ensure that they would no longer be a nightmare traversing by road in the country.

“That is one of the agenda of the meeting we just had with the Vice President. It is aimed at improving the capacity of FERMA to be able to repair our roads. So, we want to increase the funding mechanism not just for FERMA because we also want to empower the state road maintenance agencies across the 36 states, including FCT and we are taking a very good decision and I am going to brief the Governors’ Forum. I am also going to organise workshop for the state commissioners of works where we will educate them on the new collaborative venture,” he said.

The minister, who also spoke on  the Sagamu-Benin expressway, said  before Christmas, the situation would not be the same on the road, as very great improvement would have been made.

“In the past two months, we have done a lot on that road and we are not stopping work, it is continuing. I want to say that whereas people used to spend two days on that road, in particular, Ore it has been reduced to about two hours and we believe before Christmas, it will be reduced to about 15 minutes. We are intensifying now that the rain will soon stop,” he said.
The minister told newsmen that the Federal Government was working towards building synergy with states on the best way to tackle the deplorable road situation in the country.

He said the new style adopted by the government was one that will see all the parties working together for one purpose.
He  said as part of the efforts, the Federal Government would be engaging the states on road management and maintenance. 
He also noted that the administration was determined to do things in different ways, which he believed would yield positive result for the country.
“The meeting went well, it is a very important meeting that has to do with road maintenance across the country and we are trying to build a synergy between the Federal Ministry of Works and the 36 states ministries of works including FCT department of works.

“Before the end of the year, we are going to have a workshop on the modalities for the maintenance of roads across the country. Mr. Vice President has also directed that I brief the Governors’ Forum on what we are about to commence because it is clear that we have to do things differently in order to turn around the deplorable situation of our roads. We need to fix the roads.” (The Nation)