Reps to probe road constructions since 2007

Worried by the deplorable conditions of the nation’s highways, the House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to probe all the roads constructed by the Federal Government across the country since 2007 to date

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Hon Dachung Musa Bagus under matters of urgent Public importance titled “Motion on the Daily death of Nigerians as a result of bad roads in Nigeria” at the plenary

Consequently, the House mandated the Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, Chaired by Hon Richard Olufemi Bamisile to investigate all roads constructed by the Federal government since 2007 till date and report to the House within few weeks for further legislative action.

The House equally urged the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works and FERMA to include the construction and rehabilitation of the bad roads in the country in the priority list for the 2020 budget

According to Hon Bagus, “Notes the challenges caused by poor nature of our roads in the country which are in a deplorable condition which make it difficult for road users and commuters to record avoidable loss of life and enormous damage to vehicles

” Also notes that most Federal Highways were constructed in the 1970s and since then no major quality construction or rehabilitation has been carried out on these important links

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“Further notes that these Federal Highways have been death traps, most of the routes that link further states to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, are at the verge of being cut off from being part of the federating units of Nigeria

” Concerned that if urgent measures are not taken to rehabilitate roads in order to improve the economic and commercial activities of the people in terms of infrastructural development, they will continue to wallop in abject poverty which can lead to the total collapse of the social infrastructure

‘This can threaten the existence of some States as federating units of the Federal Republic of Nigeria if severed from the road network to the Federal Capital Territory.’

While moving the motion, Hon Bagus raised the alarm that more Nigerians have been killed on the nation’s highways due to the deplorable conditions of the roads than the dreaded Book haram insurgency despite several billions of Naira spent on the roads over the years.

According to him,” only yesterday a bridge collapsed in Ekiti State and people died in the process, people die on the roads on daily basis, all the roads are in a sorry state

” We as lawmakers, we must urgently address the issue because if we don’t do something now, we will not be able to reach the next level of greatness of our dream”

When the motion was put into voice by the Speaker, Hon Feni Gbajabiamila who presided over the plenary, it was unanimously supported.