The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr
Babatunde Fashola, says Nigeria needs emergency action to guarantee a rapid
turnaround of the deplorable road network in the country.
Fashola stated this while speaking with newsmen
during the
assessment of the deplorable condition of the 96-kilometre
Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road on Tuesday evening.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the
minister’s convoy had to use a bush path to traverse the persistent traffic
gridlock which often left many articulated vehicles and heavy trucks stranded
for days.
The report also said the journey from Jebba to
Ilorin, which is less than 100 kilometres, lasted four hours while many of the
vehicles suffered malfunction due to the logjam.
Fashola said urgent action must be taken to
rehabilitate the road which he described as one of Nigeria’s “critical and
strategic economic roads.”
“What the nation needs now is an emergency action,
not declaration of emergency.
“We have declared too many emergencies. This is the
time to take emergent and sensible action.
“The National Assembly should fast track the
passage of the budget so that we can address the ugly situation of our roads.
“This is intolerable for the ordinary people
because their businesses and sources of livelihood depend on this; so, this
can’t continue.”
Fashola also called for an amendment of the
procurement law to increase the percentage of mobilisation for road contracts
to enable contractors deliver completed projects without delay.
He argued for regular assessment of contracts to
check wastage and abuse.
0 Comments