The Nigerian Government has recorded a good result on road rehabilitation in the last three months of the year in 2021.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Foshola, gave this score card in Abuja during a performance review meeting of stakeholders on the last three months of 2021 and post-rainy season palliative measures on Nigerian roads.
Fashola said that his Ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency yearly undertake routine palliative repairs of Federal roads across the nation during the ember months and post-rainy season to facilitate easy movement of travellers, motorists, goods and services.
He reiterated that different seasons bring different challenges and so the plan for every season is based on the report available and with that things would be done better.
“Seasons of the year bring different challenges, so what works for one season is not going to work for another season and we must remember this as public servants. It is with plan we can make things better. Things don’t happen by accident, we can control how they happen with good planning,” he said.
Reduction of accidents
Fashola disclosed that with the ember months palliative measures on busy roads to ensure seamless travelling by the general public, accidents rate according to report by Federal Road Safety Commission reduced by 9% which is a positive achievement.
“There is an indication that accidents rate has reduced with about 9% and that is a very positive thing, which means there were less death and loss of property,” he said.
The Minister tasked every road user to be responsible as the road is a shared asset and can only last when used properly and no asset will last if it is abused. He urged the trailer drivers to avoid parking on road shoulders because it reduces its life span.
He, however, stated that road palliatives is not the final answer but construction and rehabilitation and that the Ministry has repaired and constructed many roads and still doing more across the states of the Federation.
The Minister charged contractors on Nigerian roads to use proper road signage at all the construction sites and must not compromise standards, warning that any contractor not complying with the standards would be sanctioned according to the law.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigerian Association of Transport and National Union of Road Transport Workers commended the Ministry and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency for the laudable achievements on roads maintenance palliatives across the nation during the ember months as they helped curb accidents rate.
Director Highways Construction and Rehabilitation Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Folorunsho Esan disclosed that Federal Government released the needed funds to carry out the palliative works on the affected roads.
The Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency FERMA, Nurudeen Rafindadi also said Government provided the needed fund for the execution of the repair works on the affected roads.
Nneka Ukachukwu
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