Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the activities of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) from 2019 till date, with a view to stopping the alleged monumental fraud and Illegalities in the agency.

The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta).

Moving the motion, Elumelu noted that FERMA was established in 2002 with a mandate to efficiently monitor as well as maintain all federal roads in Nigeria with an objective to keep all the roads in good and safe condition at all time.

The lawmaker said the House is aware that while billions of naira is voted to FERMA yearly for maintenance purposes, the federal roads across the country are nothing to write home about as most of them have become death traps, killing hundreds of Nigerians yearly as a result of their poor conditions.

He alleged that the corrupt practices included high handedness by the leadership of the agency; over inflation of contracts; award of non-existent contracts; massive splitting of jobs, and flagrant disregard for procurement laws in the award of contracts.

Elumelu also alleged that in most cases, the agency refuses to implement the budget in full thereby doing selective implementation of the budget.

According to him, “FERMA, which was set up to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerian road users, is alleged to be enmeshed in serious corrupt practices by the management. Further disturbing is that there are allegations of intentional delays in awarding contracts for road repairs and construction several months after bidding had been completed and successful bidders have emerged thereby compounding problems for Nigerian road users and sabotaging the effort of the government.

“It is worrying that most of these contracts are alleged to have been cornered by the management for themselves and their cronies, who abandon site after collecting reasonable percentage of advance payment of contract sum. It is disturbing that if these spate of unbridled pilfers by top government officials is allowed to fester and unchecked, it will not only drain the national purse but discredit the perceived fight against corruption by this government in the eyes of the international community, hence the need for this motion.”

Adopting the motion, the House gave the ad hoc committee six weeks to carry out the investigation and report back for further legislative action.

Udora Orizu in Abuja

The House of Representatives at the plenary yesterday resolved to set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the activities of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) from 2019 till date, with a view to stopping the alleged monumental fraud and Illegalities in the agency.

The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta).

Moving the motion, Elumelu noted that FERMA was established in 2002 with a mandate to efficiently monitor as well as maintain all federal roads in Nigeria with an objective to keep all the roads in good and safe condition at all time.

The lawmaker said the House is aware that while billions of naira is voted to FERMA yearly for maintenance purposes, the federal roads across the country are nothing to write home about as most of them have become death traps, killing hundreds of Nigerians yearly as a result of their poor conditions.

He alleged that the corrupt practices included high handedness by the leadership of the agency; over inflation of contracts; award of non-existent contracts; massive splitting of jobs, and flagrant disregard for procurement laws in the award of contracts.

Elumelu also alleged that in most cases, the agency refuses to implement the budget in full thereby doing selective implementation of the budget.

According to him, “FERMA, which was set up to ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerian road users, is alleged to be enmeshed in serious corrupt practices by the management. Further disturbing is that there are allegations of intentional delays in awarding contracts for road repairs and construction several months after bidding had been completed and successful bidders have emerged thereby compounding problems for Nigerian road users and sabotaging the effort of the government.

“It is worrying that most of these contracts are alleged to have been cornered by the management for themselves and their cronies, who abandon site after collecting reasonable percentage of advance payment of contract sum. It is disturbing that if these spate of unbridled pilfers by top government officials is allowed to fester and unchecked, it will not only drain the national purse but discredit the perceived fight against corruption by this government in the eyes of the international community, hence the need for this motion.”

Adopting the motion, the House gave the ad hoc committee six weeks to carry out the investigation and report back for further legislative action.