Flood: FERMA Seeks N100bn For Road Repairs

The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), on Monday, said it will require N100 billion intervention fund from the Federal Government for urgent repairs of roads damaged by flood across the country.

The Managing Director of FERMA, Engr. Nurudeen Abdulrahman Rafindadi, made the disclosure at the National Assembly complex, during the 2023 budget defence session with the Senate Committee on FERMA.

Rafindadi, who sought the fund in response to a question by the chairman of the Committee, Senator Gershom Bassey (PDP, Cross River South), on steps being taken by the agency to rehabilitate roads washed away by flood, said that evaluation carried out by the agency, indicated that N100 billion was urgently needed as intervention fund for road repairs in the affected areas.

“FERMA has a more significant role to play in getting things right in the flooded areas in terms of creating access for emergency services or relief materials.

“Without re-fixing the damaged roads across the flooded areas, no relief material or emergency services can be given to victims.

“Evaluation of damages done on the affected roads across the States have been carried out, requiring N100 billion for re-fixing,” Rafindadi said.

Earlier in his submissions before the Senate Committee on the 2023 budget, the FERMA boss told the lawmakers that a N31.6 billion envelope was given to the agency as capital votes for the 2023 fiscal year.

He lamented that the N31.6 billion was not even half of the N70 billion appropriated for similar purposes in the 2022 fiscal year.

Members of the Committee, who spoke during the session, assured the FERMA boss that legislative intervention would be made to facilitate the N100 billion intervention fund for road repairs in areas affected by flood across the country.