Reps want state of emergency declared on federal roads

The house of representatives has asked the federal government to declare a state of emergency on federal roads.

The call comes days after TheCable reported that four FCT roads are yet to be completed years after construction commenced.

The lower legislative chamber on Thursday mandated its works committee to ascertain the status of federal roads, contracts awarded for rehabilitation and report back in 12 weeks for further legislative action.

The resolution was sequel to a motion sponsored by Alexander Segun Adekola, a lawmaker from Ekiti state.

Moving the motion on the floor of the house, Adekola said the dilapidated state of the roads is of concern to the citizens.

The lawmaker said the budgetary allocation for rehabilitation/maintenance of the roads are usually less than 45 percent, whereas road infrastructure deficit was estimated in 2015 at N2 trillion.

“The absence of a railway system covering the length of the country makes road transportation the most widely available means of movement from one part of the country to another, in the process, exacting immense toll on the road network,” he said.

“The zero budgeting system being implemented by the federal government is hampering effective rehabilitation and construction of roads in the country given that there is no alternative means of funding this critical sector.

“Absence of public private partnership scheme and the failure of successive Administrations to prioritise road construction and maintenance, such that practically all Federal roads like Owo-Ikare~Kabba, lkare-Omuo-Kabba, Ipele-Kabba, lsua-lbilo-Okene, Okene-Obajana, are at various states of disrepair.”

He also said hoodlums could easily rob commuters because of the bad state of the road.

The motion was adopted after it was put to a voice vote by Yakubu Dogara, the speaker.