The commencement of maintenance repairs by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on some sections of the Abuja-Keffi road, especially with the onset of heavy rains, is highly commendable.
This is just as workers of FERMA are also working on some major roads across the country like the Lokoja-Abuja road, as we witnessed the Director of Operations, FERMA, Godson Amos, conducting journalists during a recent inspection.
Other roads undergoing rehabilitation include Abuja-Lokoja road, FERMA stops at Abaji, and Madalla-Suleja-Maje junction, Abaji-Toto in Nasarawa state, Bwari-Law School axis, as well as the Third Mainland bridge..
The palliative maintenance measure is to ensure that the complaints of the public on multiple cracks and surface failure on the nations road are addressed.
Worthy of note is that the agency had ensured that it allowed the free flow of traffic on a particular lane on most of the roads being fixed in order not to ground vehicular movement completely.
The MD had recently lamented that a percentage of petroleum products sale proceeds earmarked for the agency had not been forthcoming, thereby constraining its ability to fulfil its mandate of maintaining federal roads. FERMA’s role is limited to repair and rehabilitation, not construction. It was created to ensure fast response to road damage by bypassing the red tape of the ministry. With most federal highways in disrepair, the Federal Government should effectively fund FERMA.
Nigerians should also support FERMA to efficiently and effectively monitor and administer road maintenance with the objective of keeping all federal roads in good and safe conditions and also to become the most efficient road maintenance management organization that will enhance the economic well-being and interest of Nigerians.
Mohammed Rabiu, Nyanya Abuja
