The Senate on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to prioritise completing abandoned and ongoing road projects before awarding new contracts, warning that poor funding and prolonged neglect have worsened road conditions nationwide.

The lawmakers, however, exempted essential new roads, particularly those needed to reconnect communities cut off by floods or provide access to underserved areas.

The position followed a motion sponsored by Senator Tony Nwoye on the deplorable condition of the Ogbaru-Ndoni-Rivers Federal Highway.

The Senate urged the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), the South-East Development Commission or the Federal Ministry of Works to carry out emergency repairs on failed sections of the highway pending full rehabilitation.

It also called on the Works Ministry to begin comprehensive reconstruction of the Ogbaru-Iyiowa-Odekpe-Atani-Ogwuikpele-Ndoni highway through a special intervention programme or other appropriate funding arrangements.

The Senate directed its Committee on Works to inspect the road, consult relevant stakeholders and report back within four weeks.

It also mandated the Senate committees on Works and Appropriations to ensure adequate funding for the project.

Presenting the motion, Nwoye said the highway, which connects communities in Anambra State to Ndoni in Rivers State, had suffered decades of neglect despite being partially constructed in the late 1980s.

The Senate noted that extensive potholes, pavement failures and erosion had made the road dangerous for motorists and other commuters.

It said the journey of about 70 kilometres from Onitsha through Ogbaru to Ndoni, which ordinarily takes roughly an hour, now takes nearly two hours.

The lawmakers said the deteriorating road had increased transport costs, caused vehicle breakdowns, disrupted commercial activities and exposed travellers to accidents and security risks.
They warned that continued neglect could further undermine interstate commerce, agricultural activities, regional integration and oil exploration and production along the Ogbaru corridor.

During the debate, Senators Isah Jibrin, Diket Plang and Samson Ekong drew attention to other abandoned road projects, stressing the need to complete them to improve transportation and economic activities.

One senator cited the Calabar-Itu and Idukpani-Itu roads, lamenting the loss of lives and disruption of economic activities along routes serving Aba, Ikot Ekpene and Umuahia.

Senator Adams Oshiomhole criticised the Ministry of Works for introducing new projects while existing roads remained abandoned or inadequately funded.

Senators Ahmad Lawan, Adamu Aliero and Wasiu Eshilokun supported the call to prioritise ongoing projects.

Lawan, however, urged the government to make provision for new roads serving underserved communities.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio agreed that completing existing projects should take priority but said new roads could not be avoided in areas where flooding had destroyed critical transport links.

He argued that refusing to construct replacement roads in such locations could amount to abandoning affected communities.