Declare emergency on federal roads in Ekiti State, Oyebanji tells FERMA

Disturbed by the deplorable condition of federal roads in Ekiti State, the state governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has called on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to, as a matter of urgency, declare emergency on the roads and make concerted efforts to fix them without further delay.

Oyebanji made the plea when he paid a working visit to the Director-General of FERMA, Nurudeen Rafindadi, at the agency’s Headquarters in Abuja yesterday.He said Ekiti people were eager to see the federal roads become motorable just as the Yuletide season approaches.

The governor said that Ekiti roads were among the best in the country until when an unprecedented huge number of heavy trucks started plying the roads as alternative routes to Abuja, South-East and parts of the North.

He said the huge number of articulated vehicles caused untold damage to Ekiti roads, making it difficult to access the state.

Oyebanji, who stressed the importance of good roads to safety and economic development, urged the agency to prioritise Ekiti roads, as the state is already cut off from other parts of the country.

RESPONDING, Rafindadi said the agency had no excuse for not fixing Ekiti roads in view of its economic advantage to the country, as well as the fact it would constitute an embarrassment to the agency.

The FERMA boss, who cited finance as a major issue affecting the agency’s operation, said Ekiti State roads would be accorded top priority to enhance safety and economic growth.

He said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited should factor road maintenance to its distribution cost, stressing that road has become the medium of distribution of petroleum products across the country with attendant stress on the roads.