…Senate wants FG to declare a state of emergency on roads
Abdul Aminu
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said Nigerians would have trekked if his administration did not embark on the Lagos-Ibadan transport.
This is coming just as the Senate is calling on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on roads.
The president who spoke at the Presidential Villa while receiving a delegation from Kaduna State led by the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, and Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Hadiza Sabuwa Balaraba, said that prioritising infrastructure projects ameliorated hardship in some parts of the country.
“My objective was very clear, despite the dwindling resources, I wanted to deal with infrastructure across the country,” Buhari was quoted via a statement issued by his spokesman, Femi Adesina.
“We should look at advancement in terms of Infrastructure. No country can advance without infrastructure. There used to be railways, especially people from Southern Kaduna who will remember this.
“Which country can really advance without road, rail and power, that’s why I wanted to sort out infrastructure, knowing that Nigerians are competitive by nature, and they will face their businesses when there’s a road, rail and power.”
While noting that movement in the South-West has been improved, the President thanked China and others who supported the Lagos-Ibadan transport projects.
He added, “The people from South-West can tell better because between Lagos and Ibadan by now, if we hadn’t done what we did, people would have been trekking because the road was not there, the rail was not there and there was so much insecurity.
“But we thank the international community. We thank China and Chinese investors who came along to support the Lagos-Ibadan transport projects.”
The President also assured that the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure will be sustained, which include the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Express Road being handled by Julius Berger to ensure good and long-term quality.
He equally commended the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, for the transformation of the state, with growing infrastructure and socio-economic projects, while noting the growing liberality, which welcomes all Nigerians.
“Please extend my gratitude to the Governor for doing so well. I have been living in Kaduna for many years before I came here, but now I will need a modern compass to go around because of the transformation,” he stated.
On her part, the Deputy Governor thanked the President for his working visit to the state, where he commissioned projects in Kaduna, Kafanchan and Zaria.
She explained that the Urban Renewal Programme will be sustained and spread across the state for more impact on the lives of the people, with many already near completion, and will be ready by May, 2022.
Meanwhile, the Senate has called on the Federal Government to declare a State of Emergency on the nation’s federal roads.
The upper chamber is also asking the Federal Government to immediately make good its indebtedness to Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to enable it to carry out its primary responsibility of rehabilitating federal roads, especially in the face of the astronomical increase in airfares.
The resolutions were reached on Tuesday during the plenary session following a point of order raised by Senator Gershom Bassey.
In the point of order, Senator Bassey drew the attention of the Senate to the increase in airfare and the implication for Nigerian roads.
He said local airfares in Nigeria have risen by 63 percent in response to a spike in the price of aviation fuel and the attendant cost of operation.
He expressed worry that the prices would increase the pressure on the neglected and dilapidated Nigerian roads and further worsen their state.
The lawmaker also noted that FERMA had a budgetary approval of just 20 percent of the funds the agency requires for the rehabilitation of about 35,000km of federal roads in 2022.
However, Senator Bassey observed that the sum of about N850 Billion naira has been accrued to FERMA by virtue of the 5 percent surcharge on the pump price of petrol, diesel, and international vehicle transit charges still being owed to FERMA by the Federal Government.