NUPENG decries state of federal roads as FG claims spending N260bn on roads 3 years
The same trend of blame game meted out to former President Oluesgun Obasanjo administration by analysts that he spent over $16 billion on power and there is nothing to show for it is about to erupt on the current government on roads.
This stemmed from the parallel positions of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing that the administration had invested well over N260bn on roads at a time members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have called for the declaration of State of Emergency on roads.
According to the union leadership, number of carnages on Nigerians due to their bad state had been on the increase in the last three years nationwide.
NUPENG National President, Williams Akporeha, argued that although the current administration had been working hard to fix the highways, a lot still needed to be done.
In his remarks at a recent 4th Quadrennial Delegates’ Conference of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers in Abuja, Akporeha explained that the growth and development of a country lies in an effective transportation system.
He averred that considering the fact that Nigerians mostly depend on road transport for movement of goods and services, there was a need for the government to address the dilapidated state of the roads to meet the rising demand of users.
NUPENG boss stressed further that “We earnestly call on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on Nigerian roads so as to attract urgent attention, as no economy thrives without good roads and effective transportation system.”
Earlier in his presentation, the Minister, Babatunde Fashola claimed that federal government had invested N260bn in roads across the country between 2015 and 2018.
In his keynote address, the minister stated that under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of the Federal Government, about N300bn had been committed to Nigerian roads, stressing “If you think this is not important, let me remind you that in 2015, only N18bn was budgeted for all Nigerian roads in the Ministry of Works. Only N9bn was funded at the time when Nigeria’s oil was selling at close to $100 per barrel”.
“This was at the time of the Transformation Agenda, when commitment fell significantly behind stated objectives. But what has changed under the ERGP is that the Buhari government has committed close to N300bn to roads, and funded about N260bn at a time when oil prices are manifestly below the 2015 figures.”
Continuing, Fashola disclosed that “On the contrary, they reveal a clear thinking and understanding of what must be done to rebuild our economy and underline the interconnectivity between availability of quality infrastructure and the delivery of energy from petroleum products to drive our economy”.
“Although there is a very long list of critical roads that support petroleum distribution, I cannot fail to mention the recent award of the Ikorodu-Shagamu Road that services the Mosimi Depot, where work will soon commence.
“Similarly, our ministry is working to finalise the procurement and award of the Apapa, Tin Can, Mile 2, Oshodi to Oworonshoki highway.”
“I just returned from road project inspection in Kebbi and Jigawa states last night, where our contractors informed me that bitumen producers and suppliers were now struggling to cope with demand.
“These are clear signs of a business boom and employment not only for transporters of the products like your members, but also for the manufacturers,” Fashola said.
