FERMA requires N110bn annually to maintain roads

The Managing Director, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Mr Gabriel Amuchi, says the agency needs N110 billion annually to effectively maintain roads.Amuchimade the statement in a paper entitled, ``The Way Forward for Sustainable Development in Transport Technology in Nigeria'', at the 2nd International Conference on Transport Technology in Zaria, Kaduna State.The conference with the theme, ``Harnessing the Nigerian Technological Potential for Sustainable Transport Development'', was organised by the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT).Represented by Alhaji Hassan Mohammed, Director, Planning and Engineering, Amuchi said that the amount was required to patch pot-holes, reconstruct roads and drainage, among others.He said the agency was only getting about a quarter of the amount from the Federal Government and described the sum as grossly inadequate to make any immediate impact.He appealed for more funds to enable the agency to carry out its assignments more effectively.``For a country to have a good road network, it has to have good planning, again, it must continuously maintain the roads to stand the test of time, '' the managing director said.He urged operators of heavy duty vehicles not to exceed the 30 tonnes axle load limit to prevent the roads from quick collapse.He urged Nigerians to change their attitude of dumping refuse in drainages to save roads from collapse.In a message, Gov. Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State decried the poor attitude of governments at all levels towards road maintenance, saying such neglect had led to most accidents on the roads.Yakowa said transportation was the driving force of any economy, adding that without a functional and effective transport system, the economy would not grow.
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