AUCHI - Leader of the House of Representatives, Tunde Akogun, yesterday tasked the Ministry of Transportation on the deplorable state of roads in the country, urging the Minister Diezani Allison Maduekwe to step up efforts at rehabilitating the motor ways.,
Akogun who met with the Minister and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) Olubumi Peters while noting the bad states of Nigerian roads particularly dwelt on the state of roads in Edo State like the failed portion between Ewu Junction and Agbede town on the Benin- Auchi - Okene- Abuja road where many lives had been lost in recent time.
He lamented the death of over 16 students on the road only last week and prevailed on the FERMA to begin work earnestly on the failed portion.
The leader who represents Akoko- Edo Federal constituency of Edo State also expressed concern over the Auchi- Igarra- Ibillo -Isua road linking Ondo state stating that the interactive meeting with the Minister of Transportation was to find solutions to how the roads nationwide could be rehabilitated especially as the yuletide season sets in.
He stated that the rehabilitation of the Igarra- Isua road would reduce the pressure currently witnessed on the Benin- Ore- Ijebu Ode- Lagos road as such development would have formed an access route for commuters travelling from the northern part enroute Lagos.
Top officials of the Transport Ministry and FERMA attended the interactive roundtable where Transportation Minister Diezani Allison Maduekwe attributed the poor states of the roads to the heavy rains as well as the inability to access over 75 percent releases of their funds.
She gave 29 percent score to the implementation of her ministry’s budget performance and disclosed that she hopes to hit 75 percent now that the contractors are returning to site after the rains and apparently also because she could now access the funds after due process certification.
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