Governor of Niger State, Mr. Sani Bello, has appealed to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), to look into the deplorable condition of federal roads in the state in order to ease the movement of persons, goods and services across the state.
A statement by the Director and Head of Communications at the agency, Mrs. Maryam Sanusi, quoted Bello to have made the remarks when he visited the FERMA headquarters in Abuja on a courtesy call.
Bello decried the deplorable state of some roads in Niger, saying road users in the state experienced tough times in the last rainy season leading to accidents and giving opportunity to bandits to operate without hindrance.
The governor urged FERMA to urgently intervene, especially on the Minna-Tegina, Tegina-Kontagora, Jebba-Mokwa, Mokwa- Tegina roads to make them passable.
He added: “The MD is doing well. I hope he will be able to get enough funds to work. I am complaining of 2,300 kilometres, he has over 36,000 kilometres to worry about. I am glad that he has given Niger State the required attention.”
Managing Director, FERMA, Mr. Nuruddeen Rafindadi, in his remarks said the demand to intervene on maintaining and putting federal roads in the state in good condition for easy movement was valid.
He said: “I believe that the roads in Niger State should be of priority because of the importance of the state to the country.
“We may not be able to solve all the road problems in the state, but we will identify critical sections and take immediate care of those sections to ease the users’ movement.”
The FERMA boss revealed that arrangements had been concluded by the agency to commence work on some roads in the state under the Covid-19 Intervention projects.
He stressed the urgent need to repair the Kontagora-Tegina Road, as a special intervention along Bida-Zungeru road, general maintenance repairs of Mokwa-Kainji Road, Special Repairs of Zungeru – Tegina Road, Special Repairs of Zungeru-Minna section of the federal road along Zungeru- Minna-Lambatta road and general maintenance of Kontagora-Chifu-Rijau- Kebbi S/B in Niger State.
Rafindadi said the agency would continue to make roads across the country usable to all Nigerians within the limit of funds that are available to the agency.
