BY EDMOND ODOK – The Federal Government says a whooping N75.8 billion (N75,765,087,178) is urgently required to handle palliative works on the 194 damaged road sections identified across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Director of Highways Construction and Rehabilitation, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Engineer Folorunsho Esan, said the repairs have become quite compelling to prevent further deterioration of the roads and possible mishaps.
Making a presentation on Federal Government’s preparedness in the EMBER months, Esan however admitted that due to paucity of funds, the Department has penciled down for immediate attention 14 critical road corridors with heavy vehicular traffic and mainly used during the yuletide celebrations.
According to him; “Some of the identified roads have ongoing contracts and the contractors will be asked to carry out palliative works to fix the bad spots.”
He gave a breakdown of the identified roads by geopolitical zones as 14 in the North-East; 34 in the North-Central; and 39 in the North-West, adding that N5.9 billion; N12.3 billion, and N11.98 billion respectively would be required for their rehabilitation.
In the South East, South-West and South-South, Esan put the number of identified roads at 22, 48, and 37, stating that the various amounts required for their rehabilitation and repairs are N9.3 billion N16.9 billion, and N19.3 billion respectively.
The Highways Construction director however disclosed that where there are no ongoing contracts, the Ministry is considering awarding contracts for emergency repairs of bad sections to reputable contractors well mobilised in the area and ready to start work within the shortest period of time.
Furthermore, he said ahead of the festive period, contractors handling some major ongoing projects have been directed to undertake palliative works on critical sections of the road to ensure free flow of traffic and easy passage for motorists and commuters.
Noting the importance that the Federal Government attaches to the road repairs, Esan said; “These roads are critical to the nation’s economy as they link the northern part of the country to the southern part as well as Eastern to Western part, being used daily by trucks to transport goods from the Nation’s Sea Ports to other parts, including neighbouring countries.”
The highway director explained that the urgency of undertaking rehabilitation work on the identified damaged road sections cannot be overemphasized given that the consequences of further delay would lead to avoidable mishaps and increased cost of rehabilitation when such funds could be readily channeled to 2022 capital budget for new projects.
Esan said some of the affected roads require urgent remedial works to prevent them from total collapse and becoming impassable, adding; that if not addressed as a matter of urgency may lead to complete cut off of some of the roads and bridges that negatively impact social and economic activities as well as further deterioration by 2022 when funds could be provided for their repairs.
For him, addressing the situation now will avoid an increased scope of works and cost in future; check frequent road crashes, especially petrol tankers and articulated trucks with the attendant loss of lives and damage to goods and properties.
Other areas of concern are public outcry due to traffic gridlock; traumatic experiences using the roads; loss of perishable agricultural products; and rising insecurity with kidnappers, bandits and criminal elements generally taking advantage of the bad spots to carry out their heinous crimes.
