Yuletide: FG to commence emergency repairs on 53 critical roads

Ahead of the yuletide season, the Federal Government (FG) on Monday, said it has identified 53 citical roads requiring emergency interventions.

It also assured that measures has been put in place to ensure steady supply of electricity to consumers during the period.

The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, made the disclosure in Abuja at a briefing to mark his third year in office.

According to him, repair works have commenced in the identified roads so as to ease traffic.

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“Ministry staff have identified 53 critical roads requiring intervention while construction is going on in order to move traffic and we will be working with our contractors to provide relief gangs,” he said.

He said zonal directors will be deployed to their zones until the peak traffic subsides.

His words: “As you all know, we are now in the month of November and heading to the end of the year.

“What this means is that festivity, end of year activity and consequent movement of goods and services will put pressure on our roads nationwide.”

Also, he explained that the Ember month planning committee is working with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and FERMA to ensure seamless movement of people and goods.

“FRSC will deploy their personnel across the major transport corridors of the country during this period of heavy movement to help manage traffic.

“They have committed to setting up 9 camps and 18 help areas across the zones to provide support and help to commuters in need,” he added.

However, he noted that the successful execution of its plans is dependent on the cooperation of road and energy users.

He said: “What is true of pressure on roads at the end of the year is true of pressure on the power supply with the heat and weather change that comes with end of the year.

“There will be increased demand for water and cooling in dry and hot weather which translates to increased demand for electricity in our homes, offices, and other places of activity.

“Our ember month team have been set up to keep the supply on and, where possible, increase it to meet demand.

“We have prepared for the worst and we now hope for the best.

“The success of our plans now depend on the cooperation of road users who must drive carefully and energy users who must conserve energy when not needed.”