Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency(FERMA), Hon Femi Bamisile, has faulted the claim of the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fasola, that Nigerian roads are not as bad as they are portrayed.
Bamisile maintained that the Minister needs to have a full grasp of the happenings on Nigerian roads, adding that roads are vividly deplorable around the country.
The All Progressives Congress lawmaker representing Ekiti South Federal constituency II made this known while inspecting a collapsed bridge linking Aramoko-Erio-Efon towns.
“I don’t know where the Minister got that information from. Our roads are bad and in sorry states and nothing more to describe it.
“Just take a look at this collapsed portion, it can contain a whole house if dropped inside.
“I want to believe that whoever says people’s complaints about our roads are mere hype must either downplaying the situation or maybe the person doesn’t ply our roads at all.
“I saw a documentary about federal roads in Anambra state recently. In fact, I saw a road that had totally cut off. The Minister must accept the reality that our roads need serious attention,” he said.
Bamisile therefore appealed to the federal government to release a sum to f N12 billion to FERMA agency to put Nigeria’s roads back to good shape in this yuletide while expressed displeasure at the situation on the Aramoko-Erio-Efon road, saying the federal government must do something urgently to avert carnage in that area.
The lawmaker said the government must ultimately find lasting solutions to the state of Nigerian roads because palliative measures will not solve the crucial problem.
He however praised Governor Kayode Fayemi for releasing a sum of N19 million to contractor to carry out palliative measure on the collapsed portion.