Following a motion by Senator Gershom Bassey of Cross River South Senatorial District, the Senate has asked the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency on all federal roads in the country.
In statement, Bassey, who is the Chairman, Cross River State Caucus, in the National Assembly, said about N215b per annum is required to revamp the 3,500km federal roads for eight-10 years for total rehabilitation to be achieved.
Bassey raised the motion, titled: “Motion on Nigeria’s Bad Roads and Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) Impending Nationwide Strike” on the floor of the Senate and it was accordingly adopted, urging the FG to do the needful.
He said from 2016-2020, the actual funds released to FERMA by the FG for road rehabilitation and maintenance was just about 17 per cent of the required sum and was paltry, considering the extent of problems on ground.
Accordingly, in the motion raised under Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Orders, Bassey said the 36,000 km federal road network is the largest and most valuable single public infrastructure asset owned by the government, but most of the roads are in a sorry state, due to poor funding and neglect.
“The deplorable state of federal roads in Nigeria has become a national embarrassment, as scores of innocent people are kidnapped by bandits, robbed, mutilated and killed daily in avoidable accidents on account of bad federal roads,” he said.
