House Of Reps To Probe FERMA Over Deplorable Roads
Indication has emerged that the House of Representatives is set to investigate the and probe activities of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in the last three years over deplorable state of the nation’s roads.
The Chairman, House Committee on FERMA, Hon Femi Bamisile who disclosed this to journalists in Ado Ekiti on Friday after the House of Representatives committee on FERMA inspected the collapsed bridge on Ureje river along Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, which collapsed after a torrential downpour on Monday night leaving a man dead in the process.
He decried the deplorable state of roads in the country despite huge amount of money being spent on rehabilitation of roads by the federal government.
Bamisile, however, pleaded with the Federal Government to have a rethink of his decision to ban states governments from reconstructing federal roads across the federation.
The federal lawmaker who is representing Ekiti South Federal constituency II at the national assembly, said the order will further increase the number of roads that are in the state of disrepair.
He also urged the President Muhammadu Buhari to declare emergency in the road sector, saying this remains the best way to tackle deplorable conditions of the roads.
The investigation, according to him will cover 2017 and 2019.
The said the directive from the Minister of Works, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola that the states should refrain from reconstructing federal roads shouldn’t have come at a time the federal government has no financially capacity to carry put such .
He said, “It is disturbing to hear that two institutions, Are Babalola University and federal Polytechnic and a section of Ado Ekiti capital city was cut off by flood and a man was killed in the process.
“It was disturbing that a man was killed during the flood I was devastated by the news, because we were elected to defend the rights of our people.
Bamisile said the lower chamber of the national assembly will debate the order and address it properly because we can’t subject our people to hardship of bad roads.
“The deplorable states of our road is disturbing and that order coming at a time like this when the FG has no capacity to give necessary attentions to these roads across the Federation makes it imperative for House of Representatives to address the situation.
“Governor Kayode Fayemi even told me that he has a letter from the Federal Ministry of Works on his table telling him not to rehabilitate federal roads that it should be left for the federal to undertake. I am assuring Nigerians that the National assembly will look into the matter”.
The parliamentarian praised Governor Kayode Fayemi and the founder of Afe Babalola University, Chief Afe Babalola(SAN) for the palliatives they provided on the bridge to reconnect the disconnected communities.
“I want to say that the FG must declare emergency on road sector without delay. Our roads are bad and as Representatives of the people, we must give them quality services having voted for us.
“We don’t have to wait and allow the people to die before taking actions”, he said.
