Ekiti RAAMP Coordinator Urges States To Create Ministry To Oversee Roads Maintenance

The project coordinator of Ekiti State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), Mr. Rufus Adumo has lamented the poor maintenance of Nigerian roads, calling for the establishment of a Ministry by states for such purpose.

 He also disclosed that Ekiti RAAMP is set to rehabilitate some 12 rural roads and others across the state.

Addressing newsmen in Ado Ekiti on some of the world bank co-funded projects being handled RAAMP Adumo who stressed the need for proper maintenance culture on Nigerian roads said it will make them last longer after construction.

The RAAMP coordinator who noted that most of the Fadama roads in the country are presently in bad shape due to lack of proper maintenance said this has made it difficult for farmers and rural dwellers to have unfettered access to their farms and homes.

“There are cumulative effects of not doing the proper thing and the proper thing is to ensure we have maintenance culture and having a ministry that will be dedicated to that particular assignment.

 “We want to build roads that will last longer because part of the problems in Nigeria is maintenance. We understand that most of the roads financed by all these foreign donors till date are in bad shape. Where are those FADAMA roads? They are all gone.

“That was why we brought an agricultural marketing project into it. An idea of creating an agency that will be maintaining the roads constructed which most of our roads lack.

“We need to come up with the idea of proper maintenance, if the roads are not well maintained within two or three years you won’t find them there again”.

He added that Ekiti RAAMP has three interventions that have been approved by the World Bank which include rehabilitation and maintenance of 73 kilometres of roads which cuts across the 16 local government areas of the state.

“We will also intervene in some roads of about 131 kilometres on spot improvements in all parts of the state”.