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Tag: Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA)

  • Oseni warns contractors against shoddy works on roads

    Oseni warns contractors against shoddy works on roads

    The Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has warned contractors against shoddy works on Nigeria’s roads.

    He urged contractors to strictly adhere to project specifications, saying poor quality work remained major factor in road failures across Nigeria.

    Speaking in Ibadan during the Oyo Federal Roads Stakeholders Engagement, an event organised by House of Representatives Committee on Works, Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency stated that there is need for contractors to uphold professionalism and deliver quality projects that serve interests of the public.

    The lawmaker noted that while overloading contributes to road deterioration, the primary issue is failure of contractors to comply with approved project designs.

    He said:”Some road failures are not caused by overloading but by poor-quality work from some contractors. If roads are built to specification, maintenance costs across the country will be significantly reduced. Deviating from these standards leads to high maintenance expenses and deteriorating infrastructure.”

    Oseni commended the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, for granting Oyo State an unprecedented privilege by appointing lawmakers from the state as chairmen of both the House Committees on Works and FERMA.

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    He also praised the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, for his new approach to road infrastructure management, noting that visible improvements are already taking place nationwide.

    “We can all see a remarkable shift from the past in our road infrastructure. The reforms are taking shape, and we must leverage this opportunity to ensure the best outcomes for our state and the nation.”

    He however lauded President Bola Tinubu for implementing reforms that are gradually yielding positive results across all sectors.

    “We have a President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is committed to fixing Nigeria’s challenges. His approach to road infrastructure development is a testament to that commitment.”

  • Yuletide: Smooth travels in Ibadan as Oyo govt, FERMA transform roads  

    Yuletide: Smooth travels in Ibadan as Oyo govt, FERMA transform roads  

    Motorists and commuters in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, are enjoying smoother journeys this festive season, thanks to extensive road reconstruction and repairs carried out by the Oyo State Government and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).

    Since January, the state government has focused on rehabilitating inner-city roads with high economic significance, including Ring Road, Beere-Secretariat-Bodija Road, Iyaganku GRA roads, and Akobo-Olorunda-Aba Road. 

    These projects, coupled with major roads constructed during Governor Seyi Makinde’s first term, have enhanced the city’s infrastructure, reduced travel time, and boosted economic activities.

    FERMA has complemented the state’s efforts through its “Operation Connect Your Destination” initiative, targeting federal roads across Oyo State. 

    According to Tunde Adepoju, FERMA’s Road Maintenance Engineer for Oyo State, the agency has completed critical rehabilitation projects, including the major Ogbomoso township road and roads in Ido, Akinyele, and Oluyole Local Governments.

    Adepoju highlighted the success of collaboration among federal, state, and local governments, alongside contributions from security agencies and traditional rulers. 

    Ongoing projects in Fiditi and Oyo towns further demonstrate the commitment to improving road infrastructure, ensuring seamless travel during the Yuletide and beyond.

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    In Oluyole Local Government, the agency has fixed the Elebu Road off Akala Expressway while the state government handled the Akala Expressway.

    Adepoju acknowledged the efforts of Hon. Remi Oseni, the federal lawmaker representing Ido Local Government who is the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on FERMA, in facilitating the road maintenance projects in Ido. 

    He explained that FERMA collaborates with elected officials to fulfil campaign promises made to constituents.

    Commending Governor Seyi Makinde for his focus on road infrastructure, Adepoju clarified that not all road projects in the state are solely managed by the state government, adding that FERMA has also been actively involved in rehabilitating and maintaining several roads across the state.

    On the Oyo-Ogbomoso Federal Road, Engr. Adepoju disclosed that FERMA has completed work on four sections and fixed the old Ibadan-Fiditi Road. 

    The old road is serving as a better alternative to the expressway which is riddled with failed portions. He assured residents that further maintenance and rehabilitation efforts would resume after the Yuletide.

    Engr. Adepoju further explained that FERMA has also worked on sections of the Ibadan-Ogbomoso Road, particularly the RAMP area along the Roundabout, while the Kwara State FERMA office has addressed potholes on the old Ilorin-Ogbomoso Road. 

    With these combined works, motorists are full of praises for both the state government and FERMA  as their works made commuting a pleasure during the Yuletide.

  • Lawmaker seeks reconstruction of Warri-Sapele-Benin Expressway

    The Federal Government has been urged to direct the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to reconstruct failed sections of the Warri-Sapele-Benin Expressway in Delta State.

    The lawmaker representing Sapele, Okpe and Uvwie Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Efe Afe, made the call on Sunday while he was stuck in the traffic jam caused by the deplorable state of the Adeje community section of the highway.

    He emphasised that hoodlums have seized the opportunity to attack unsuspecting road users at the bad spots.

    The lawmaker particularly stated that the road should not be patched, but reconstructed urgently.

    He explained that the road needed a total overhaul because of the heavy-duty trucks which ply it on daily basis, adding that Delta, an oil-bearing state which connects the Southsouth states to other regions of Nigeria, does not deserve such dilapidated road.

    He said: “Patching the failed portion of the Warri-Sapele-Benin Expressway would not help matters as diesel, petrol and other petroleum products-laden heavy trucks regularly pass through the busy road.”

    He further revealed that the poor state of the road has crippled economic activities of his constituents.

    “People travelling from Lagos to Warri and its environs spend more time on the road; motorists spend more money to buy fuel due to the deplorable conditions of the road. The Federal Government needs to intervene to alleviate the sufferings of motorists and commuters,” Afe said.

    He, however, expressed gratitude to the Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his administration’s efforts to rehabilitate the expressway in the past.

  • ‘FERMA yet to get cash from PMS sales for 12 years’

    The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has decried its inability to access fund from the sale of petroleum product for the repairs of roads across the country.

    Section 4(h) of the FERMA Act (2007 as amended) stipulates five percent user’s charge on pump price for petrol, diesel and of which 40 percent will accrue to FERMA and 60 percent to be utilized by the established State Roads Maintenance Agencies.

    It is believed that the money accrued yearly from PMS sales is twice the agency’s annual capital appropriation. The capital appropriation for the agency in 2018 was N32 billion.

    The Managing Director of FERMA, Nurudeen Rafindadi said the agency’s inability to access the funds has hampered the repairs and maintenance of roads.

    Rafindadi who spoke to some reporters in Abuja after the inauguration of the new board of the agency, also hinted that the agency requires over five times its annual budget to fix roads.

    He urged the Federal Government to pay similar attention given to security to the road sector, adding that it would boost the economy.

    On some of its constraint, he said: “We appeal for the implementation of some aspects of FERMA Act which enables raising of resources and financing which are so far not being implemented.

    Read Also: FERMA completes over 300 road projects

    “You are aware of the stipulation in the FERMA Act that is meant to accrue from the pricing of petroleum product. That is not being implemented right now. It will take a lot of hard work which I think this board is quite capable to do and if we are able to do that, that can double more of the financing for the maintenance of roads and the public will see a lot of difference.

    “We have not started accessing that fund.  There are lots of intricacies and modalities of accessing that but what I know is that since the amendment of the Act since 2007, that money has been accruing somewhere in the Executive and we are trying to gather the capacity to find that out.

    “We also know that a rough guess will give at least double the capital annual budget coming from that source alone.”

    On how much the agency requires to perform optimally, Rafindadi said: “In 2018, our capital budget was N32 billion. How much was actually released was less than 50 percent. FERMA requires more than four to five times the amount budgeted for it annually because we have 36,000km of federal roads, we also know that there are state government that have capital budget for their own roads that are higher than FERMA’s budget.

    “Lagos State for instance, I am aware that back in 2015 had over N50 billion to maintain their roads. That gives you an idea of the seriousness of the kind of resources we need.

     

  • Fashola opposes 1% allocation to FERMA for road rehabilitation

    Fashola opposes 1% allocation to FERMA for road rehabilitation

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, yesterday expressed his disapproval over a bill seeking to allocate 1 per cent from the consolidated revenue fund to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency ( FERMA ) for the rehabilitation of roads across the country.

    He made his opposition to the proposed law known during the public hearing on two bills meant to harmonise the FERMA Act with that of the Federal Highway Bill so that the minister of Works, Power and Housing may have some powers of granting roads concession.

    The Minister said the implication of the passage of the bills will be negative and will probably be at variance with the intention of the lawmakers.

    “Section 5 deals with the funding of the Agency and what it says is to provide a lump sum by percent page from the Consolidated Fund to the Agency,” 

    “I am not certain that it is the intention of the National Assembly to give 1 per cent of the consolidated revenue fund to one agency,” adding that rather, the agency should come up with a well laid out budget profile of its needs and debt profile  which will then be properly appropriated.

     He added that the main ministry with its many responsibilities did not have such funds at its disposal.

    Certain aspects of the proposed bill were in conflict with the constitution and were duplications of the National Roads fund bill and the Federal Road Authority bill.

    The creation of states’ road maintenance agencies in section 2 of the one of the bills, he said, already had Judicial interpretation which states that one arm of government cannot create responsibility for another arm of government. According to him, it was also inconsistent with the constitution.

    He also opposed the sections which seeks to empower FERMA erect toll gates and well as collect fees. ” It’s in conflict with the Federal Highways Act which gives he Minister the power to do such . It conflicts with the Act which was from the National Assembly,” he said.

    Mediayedu Stephen, who represented the Ministry of Finance, lauded the provisions in the proposed bill, saying the erection of toll gates as included in the amendment bill  was a good development.

    “This is mostly the avenue through which the private sector can recoup their investment in the advent of any road concession. However the administration of toll gate by the proposed state road agencies may impede concessioning by the Federal Government,” he said.

    Mr Emmanuel Akissa, Legal Adviser, who represented the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, supported the creation of toll gates.

    His words: “this bill is right in time and a step in the right direction as its passage would assist the government with the funds that will be generated at the several toll gate around the nation in the funding of projects along the Federal roads.”

    There should be provisions that clearly state the working relationship between the FERMA and the road agency established for the state, he said, adding that the administration and distribution of funds should not be tied to the existence of state road maintenance agency.

    He further stated that ” the power of FERMA to erect toll gate should be harmonised with the power of the minister to erect toll gate under the Federal Highway Act.”

     President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr Adekunle Mokoulu, it was not necessary to have inserted state roads management agency in the bill as it was already a precondition stipulated in the National Roads fund (NRF) for states to access the fund.

    He said: “We think that the state assembly will not be directed from Abuja on which laws to pass. We believe that the provision in the NRF that, ‘Only state roads authorities can access the funds’ suffices and has already taken care of this insertion. Tolling is but one of the numerous proposed sources of funding the roads maintenance.’’

    Hon. Jerry Alagbaoso, Chairman of the Committee, said that it was discovered during the committee’s oversight function, that critical portions of roads especially Federal interlinking roads and inter changes vital to various part of the country were in bad conditions.

    “These roads that need to be taken care of as a matter of urgency and emergency were not captured in the past budgets,” he said.

  • FERMA assures of zero potholes on federal roads – Official

    FERMA assures of zero potholes on federal roads – Official

    Federal Roads Maintenance Agency ( FERMA ) has assured the people of Kogi of zero potholes on federal roads in the state before the Christmas.

    The Agency’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Segun Aluko, gave the assurance in an interview in Lokoja on Friday.

    He said that the agency had compiled reports on all dilapidated roads in the state.

    He noted that FERMA was making arrangements to begin patching and rehabilitating of all federal roads within the state.

    He said the repair became imperative due to the heavy vehicular movements during the period of Christmas.

    “We do not want anything that would make motorists miserable during the Christmas,” he said.

    While stating that there would be zero potholes during the Christmas, he urged communities involved to cooperate with the agency during the cause of repair.

    Aluko commended the Federal Government for ensuring that major highways are maintained and rehabilitated as and when due.

    NAN

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  • NASS to ensure sustainable funding, moral support for NYSC – Wamakko

    NASS to ensure sustainable funding, moral support for NYSC – Wamakko

    The immediate past Governor of Sokoto state, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, (APC-Sokoto), Thursday said the National Assembly will continue to ensure sustainable funding of and moral support for the National Youth Service Scheme activities.

    He described the National Youths Service Corps Scheme (NYSC), as dependable veritable tool for enhancing peace, unity and national development.

    Wamakko spoke when the Director-General of the scheme, Brigadier-Gen. Zakari Kazaure paid him a condolence visit on the demise of his younger, member, HoRs, Kware/Wamakko federal constituency, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad Wamakko Speaker.

    According to the Senate Committee Chairman on Basic and Secondary Education, the scheme remains too critical and virtually indispensable in the scheme of affairs of Nigeria in the past four decades.

    He noted that, corps members have been contributing in bolstering the socio-economic development of Nigeria in many areas of health, education, democracy, infrastructural development among numerous others.

    He therefore, admonished corps members in the country to always regard any part of the nation they found themselves as home.

    Wamakko who is also the ‘Marafan Hausa’ further reiterated that Nigeria would continue to remain united, peaceful and indivisible.

    Speaking, Brigadier-General Kazaure, represented by the Sokoto State Coordinator of the scheme, Alhaji Musa Abubakar, described the demise of the late lawmaker as a national loss.

    Also, similar condolence message was delivered from the management of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), by Engineer Solomon Kwaghe.

    It will be recalled that the deceased lawmaker was the Vice Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on FERMA.

  • FERMA gets 14-day ultimatum to submit list of contracts defaulters

    FERMA gets 14-day ultimatum to submit list of contracts defaulters

    The Federal Government has given the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) a 14-day ultimatum to compile and forward names of contracts defaulters to the office of the Special Assistant (SA) to the President on Prosecution.

    A letter addressed to the Acting Managing Director of FERMA by the SA, Mr Okoi Obono-obla, made available to newsmen in Calabar, vowed to prosecute all contractors who have failed to execute contracts awarded over the years.

    Obono-Obla also stated that the process would afford the government opportunity to pay contractors who have executed their projects but are yet to be fully paid.

    He said that the government is fully committed to the promise of paying indigenous contractors who were owed after the completion of their contracts.

    An earlier letter to the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) by the SA had reportedly forced some contractors to return to site.

    The latest letter according to Obono-Obla, is the reaffirmation of the commitment of the government to rid the public service of corruption.

    “We have written to FERMA to forward list of contractors who have failed to executive respective contracts/jobs over the years. They are to comply with the directive 14 days upon receipt of the letter”.

    “This is part of the frantic efforts of the Federal Government to settle indigenous contractors who have duly executed their respective contracts accumulated over the years.

    “However, contractors who have received payment and are in default of executing the contracts would be brought to book,” he said.

     

  • FERMA urged to complete Third Mainland Bridge repairs

    FERMA urged to complete Third Mainland Bridge repairs

    Some motorists on Wednesday appealed to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to complete the rehabilitation of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

    Motorists, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that the continued delay of the project had caused hardship to road users.

    They expressed concern that FERMA had abandoned the site after removing some portions of the road surface which they said had affected driving.

    NAN reports that FERMA two weeks ago began sectional milling- removing of asphalt on various portions on the Obalende/CMS bound carriageway.

    However, NAN correspondents who took a trip on the bridge on Wednesday report that no worker or equipment or equipment on site.

    Mr Deji Elumoye, Chairman, Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), also expressed disappointment that the agency abandoned work after raising the hope of road users.

    “Initially, we thought that work was going to start seriously on the Third Mainland Bridge, but after FERMA removed some portions of the road surface, we can’t see workers on the site again.

    “We can’t see the construction firm or any equipment and we begin to wonder why.

    “In the last few weeks, we have been subjected to a lot of hardship on this bridge, now the road is impassable.

    “For you to pass through some sections of the bridge, your vehicle has to be in good shape, especially the tyres.

    “Government should wake up and do what is expected of it, as regards the repairs of the Third Mainland Bridge, the repair has been abandoned.

    “They (FERMA) should go back to the site and stop these harrowing experience motorists are going through in Lagos, especially those going to the Island,” he said.

    Mrs Titi Awosika, chandler, also appealed to FERMA to go back to the site to avert accidents and gridlock.

    “I was startled and afraid when my car hit those portions where they removed asphalt because I took it for granted that the road is smooth.

    “Why removing asphalt if there is no immediate plan to resurface the road, an important economic bridge,” she queried.

    Also, Mrs Tosin Popoola, a Banker, Mr Aniekan Tebasi, an Event Planner and Senior Apostle Wole Ajayi, a transporter, also appealed to FERMA to return to the site to complete the project.

    Responding, Mr Tayo Awodun, the engineer in charge of the project told NAN that the agency was still on site cleaning some construction debris adding that it would soon begin the laying of asphalt on the bridge.

    “We must mill before we can lay asphalt.

    “The equipment we use for milling is different from the ones we use for asphalt, so, we have to remove the ones we used for milling before we bring the ones for asphalt to the site.

    “We have not left the site, men are still on site, what they are doing is cleaning before we begin laying asphalt. They (contractors) will likely lay the asphalt this week,” he said.

    Awodun said that plan was ongoing with Righteous Construction Co. Ltd., contractors handling the project, to begin laying asphalt on the bridge during the week.

    The bridge was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC and opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990, measuring about 11.8 km in length.

    The Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the other two being the Eko and Carter bridges.

    It also was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the 6th October Bridge, located in Cairo was completed, but 2006, Many commuters had reported that the bridge was vibrating, indicating that it needed urgent attention

    It was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the 6th October Bridge, located in Cairo was completed.