FERMA Managing Director, Gabriel Amunchi

By Christopher Isiguzo

As part of the efforts by the Federal Government to make roads motorable especially for motorists during the yuletide season, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has commenced the rehabilitation of the failed portions of the 200-kilometres Enugu–Port-Harcourt Expressway.

The Managing Director of FERMA, Gabriel Amunchi, explained this Tuesday, when he inspected the extent of work done on the dual carriage road, saying that the maintenance work was to restore the failed portions for road users.

He said that the Federal Government was considering rehabilitating and reconstructing the road, explaining that the long years of neglect and the amount of trucks on it had compounded the situation of the road.

Describing the road as having ‘failed beyond repairs’ the FERMA boss, added that already four contractors as well as direct labours have been engaged to ensure speedy completion of the repairs before December.

“This is a road that had challenges for over four years now and since this administration came, it has directed that it will ensure that major maintenance work is done to make this road motorbale before December. So the maintenance we are doing now is in several segments that includes direct labour operations and selected repairs.

“It is in line with the mandate of the administration to ensure we make the road motorable before December. In this location, you will find that FERMA has started major intervention, they have removed all the heaps of garbage on the road, we are also going to do similar thing on the other carriageway. We have instructed the contractors to move round to ensure that these areas are permanently reinstated,” he said.

Amunchi said the agency would soon relocate the trailers parking along the road at Lokpanta to a more convenient place so as to ensure free movement on the road.

He called on motorists to help the agency monitor the ongoing maintenance work to enable it deliver in record time.