THE House of Representatives has expressed concern over Federal Government’s refusal to release N64 billion accrued from fuel levy for road maintenance through Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
Chairman of the House Committee on FERMA, Honourable Olufemi Bamisile, who stated this at the inaugural sitting of the committee in Abuja, also tackled the Federal Government over its decision not to pay the money spent by state governments for the rehabilitation of federal roads across the country.
He said the N64 billion was meant to come from a percentage of petroleum products sale across the country in which certain percentage would go into a fund dedicated for road maintenance.
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“As a committee, I want us to think out of the box on how we can assist FERMA to access this fund as soon as we get proper briefing from the managing director on this issue. The money in question is huge and I believe it is trapped somewhere. Our collective effort is needed to get this fund out and released to FERMA to enable the agency function properly,” he said.
The chairman of the committee also expressed displeasure over a statement credited to Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, that the Federal Government would not refund money spent by state governors to repair federal roads in their states.
According to the chairman, the minister has indirectly told state governors not to repair federal roads in their states.
“The question is simple: Does it mean that Nigerians will not get any value for the various taxes they pay? Does it mean that Nigerians will continue to be exposed to dangers associated with our roads littered with gullies and potholes?
“The questions are endless and this committee must address this issue so that we can give good governance to our constituents and Nigerians as a whole.
“I need to remind us that 99 per cent of Nigerians rely on roads to get to their destinations within the country. Some Nigerians cannot afford to travel by air. Unfortunately, transportation by rail is limited at the moment, because the only functional railway line is Abuja-Kaduna. Therefore, we have a duty as a committee to ensure that our roads are safe and motorable,” he said.