News Editor
The Senate has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency, declare a sate of emergency on the nation’s federal roads.
The upper chamber, also urged the Federal Government to immediately make good its indebtedness to the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
The Senate said this was to enable the agency carry out its primary responsibility of rehabilitating federal roads, especially in the face of the astronomical increase in airfares.
The resolutions followed a Point of Order raised by Sen. Gershom Bassey (PDP-Cross River) during Tuesday’s plenary.
Bassey raised the matter to draw the attention of the senators to the increase in airfare and the deplorable state of Nigerian roads.
Rising under Order 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Orders, Bassey lamented that local airfares in Nigeria had risen by 63 per cent in response to a spike in the price of aviation fuel and attendant cost of operation.
According to him, the rise in airfare has pegged the minimum Economy Class ticket at around N80,000 for travellers buying a one-hour, one-way economy tickets.
He expressed worry that the increase in airfares would increase the pressure on the neglected and dilapidated Nigerian roads and further worsen their state.
The lawmaker noted that FERMA had a budgetary approval of just 20 per cent of the funds the agency required for the rehabilitation of about 35,000km of federal roads in 2022.
Bassey observed that about N850 billion was to accrued to FERMA from five per cent User Charge on pump price of petrol, diesel and international vehicle transit charges.
He said the amount, which was provided for in Section 14 of FERMA (Amendment) Act No.18 of 2007, was still being owed FERMA by the Federal Government.
“The humongous debt owed FERMA by the Federal Government has hampered the effective discharge of the agency’s primary responsibility of road maintenance and rehabilitation,” he said.
Contributing, Sen. George Sekibo (PDP-Rivers) decried the deplorable state of the roads.
“The roads are bad and the airfares are high. This affects the economy.
“The law establishing FERMA in Section 14 has provided a five per cent charge from petroleum pump prices. This money from inception of the law is being collected. Who is collecting it?
“Over N850 billion has been collected. If we have N850 billion, maybe it won’t be able to complete all the roads but it will repair 50 per cent and people can now move easily.”
He said that until there was ease of movement, “the economy cannot move”.
Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, who presided over plenary passed all the prayers of the motion.
