Yuletide: Fashola charges FERMA, FRSC to fix roads

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola,has charged Federal Road Management Agency(FERMA) and Federal Road Safety Corp(FRSC) to fixed major roads in country.
Fashola made the disclosure when he met with the major stakeholders in the implementation of the Ministry’s plan for the repairs of major arterial roads across the country in view of the up coming Yuletide season.
He emphasized that the meeting was aimed at reviewing the state of all on-going construction and rehabilitation work on the major arterial roads with a view to facilitate ease of movement during the Yuletide season.
This was contained in a statement signed by Stephen Kilebi, Deputy Director (Press and Public Relations),
stated that the meeting was necessary in view of the demand of the up coming season for high vehicular movements, more people traveling and increased activities of both importers and exporters on our major roads.
He explained that, it was the responsibility of the ministry to ensure all necessary things were done and put in place in order to facilitate easy and smooth movement of travellers during the season.
While enjoining the Federal Road Safety Corps to intensify campaigns on over speeding and unlicensed drivers on our highways, Fashola advised that the Corps should apprehend and prosecute violators of highway rules and regulations for sanity and orderliness by road users. The Minister added that whenever there was ordeliness on our hihhways by road usere accidents on our roads would be reduced.
Fashola directed his Ministry’s Director of Highways Construction and Rehabilitation to list out all key arterial roads that need urgent attention and commence action immediately.
In his remarks, the Corps Marshall of the Federal Roads Safety Corp, Oyeyemi Boboye told the meeting about the arrangement put in place by his agency to facilitate movement of travellers during the season and also listed some of the arterial roads and the diversions proposed.
The contractors handling the arterial roads assured the Minister of their cooperation to continue with the construction and rehabilitation work on the affected roads for ease of movement during the Yuletide season and after.
Some of the arterial roads to be fixed include the following among others:Ibadan- Lagos, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano,Shagamu-Mowe, Abraka-Agbor,Benin-Asaba,Auchi-Benin,Calabar-Nkom,Ogoja, Calabar-Itu-Uyo, Kontagora-Minna,Abuja-Lokoja,Oybomoso-Ilorin,Jos-Panshin,Enugu- Onitsha.
Some of the contractors that attended the meeting included: Julius Berger Nigeria Limited, Setraco, RCC,Mother Cart Nigeria Limited,CGC Nigeria Limited,Salini Nigeria Limited, CGCG among others.
Federal Controllers, on zonal basis, particularly those overseeing the major arterial roads made presentation on their plan of action for the season, and the Contractors handling such areas also explained the efforts in place to collectively ensure effective implementation as desired by the Ministry.
Meanwhile, in a separate meeting with the Housing Sector Controllers, the Minister charged them to be more committed and productive to ensure that all ongoing National Housing projects being executed by the Ministry were completed by 2020.
Fashola noted that the controllers would be reckoned with completed projects, advising that they should work more to facilitate the job of the contractors to deliver by removing all obstacles that hinder the process.
While reminding them of the value addition and muliflier effects of any project on the people of the benefiting community, the Minister pointed out that thousands of people in the benefiting Community of any project would be taken out of poverty because they were engaged as labourers, artisans among others .