Lawmakers Call for Rehabilitation of Federal Roads in South-south, North-central

Udora Orizu in Abuja

Members of the House of Representatives at the plenary,  yesterday urged the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to embark on the reconstruction of some federal roads in the South-south and North-central part of the country.

The lawmakers specifically urged the ministry in collaboration with the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to rehabilitate the roads to prevent hardship and multiple auto crash.

They also urged the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to deploy more Police officers to the affected roads to protect citizens from being attacked.

The resolutions of the lawmakers were sequel to the adoption of two separate motions on the “Need to Reconstruct Warri-Sapele-Benin Road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor road in Delta State and Ojapata, Ankpa, Ibana-Okpo failed portion of Itobe, Anyigba, Otukpa Federal Highway,” sponsored by Hon. Ben  Igbakpa, Hon. Oberuakpefe Afe and Hon. Abdullahi Halims respectively.

Igbakpa had while moving the motion for the rehabilitation of South-south road noted that the importance of road infrastructure in socio-economic development cannot be over-emphasized, hence the need to reconstruct the parlous Warri- Sapele-Benin Road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor
Road.

According to him, the road serves Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States with other South-South oil producing States in particular and Nigeria generally.

He lamented that criminals have taken advantage of the deplorable state of the road to rob, kill and kidnap road users and motorists along the highways.

He said: “Also notes that the major road of about 104.5km distance was constructed 27 years ago and is the most preferred route for articulated vehicles used for oil and gas haulage operating from Delta State to other parts of Nigeria. Aware of similar roads in the country that are not as important as the Warri-Sapele-Benin Road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor Road constructed within the same period have undergone rehabilitation while Warri-Sapele-Benin Road and Sapele-Amukpe to Agbor Road, through which the country derives its source of wealth.

“Disturbed by the sufferings of the people plying the road and cries of loss of man-hour as a journey of one hour now takes about eight hours due to the deplorable state of the road, thus paralyzing the socio-economic activities in the zone. Also aware that the road is a federal road and the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has expended billions of naira to fix some affected portions of the road, but with the recent pronouncement by the Federal Government that directed States to stop intervening on the federal roads has made the State to hands up road repairs, thus leaving the road in total disrepair,” he said.

Adopting the motions, the House mandated its Committees on Works, Police Affairs and Legislative compliance to ensure compliance.