THE Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has disclosed plans to assist Bauchi State in establishing a road maintenance agency in the state.
The agency’s managing director, Nuruddeen Rafindadi, gave the assurance when the governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, paid him a courtesy visit at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
He also expressed the agency’s resolve to give special attention to the rehabilitation and maintenance of federal roads in Bauchi State, being the gateway to North Eastern states.
He, however, identified the paucity of funds as a factor thwarting the agency’s efforts at keeping federal roads safe and motorable across the nation.
Earlier, the governor had commended FERMA for the work done so far in Bauchi State, saying that there had been improvement on the road sector, both in terms of maintenance and rehabilitation.
He said: “I can say without fear of contradiction that there has been a very impressive improvement in the maintenance of roads in the state.
“The state will not be ungrateful to FERMA as it has benefited maximally from the tremendous work FERMA is doing on federal roads that traverses the State.”
The governor, however, added that some challenges abound in the state which are due to the inflow of people from neighbouring states who want to take advantage of its peaceful nature.
“Neighbouring states have in recent years been bedeviled by activities of Boko Haram and other terrorist activities,”he said.
He noted that the inflow has overwhelmed and overstretched road corridors and other social services, which, in turn, has caused a lot of hazards.
He further identified Bauchi-Gombe-Alkaleri road as an area of concern as the Bauchi section of the road has not been rehabilitated as against other sections.
Other areas of concern, according to him, are the Kari-Misau-Yana-Kwanan Huguma road and Yashi-Duguri road.
The governor urged the agency to help rehabilitate these roads to ease the difficulties road users encounter daily.
He said, “we are pleading with you to come to our aid; the roads have definitely failed. But even if they have failed, we have to go along with your mandate to maintain them in such a manner that they will be motorable, until the Federal Government gets funds to completely rehabilitate them.”