NIGERIA’s roads are in terrible shape bringing agony and harvest of accidents and deaths to Nigerians: Mostly affected are those owned by the Federal Government bringing to the fore the emptiness of dilapidated and pot holes ridden roads across the country. Unfortunately, the  agency saddled  with the responsibilities of maintaining federal roads and making the roads smooth and safe for road users,  Federal Road Maintenance Agency,  FERMA, is clueless about solving the problem.

THE Federal Road Maintenance Agency,FERMA, established by Act No. 7 of 2002 of the National Assembly and assented to by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo was set up for monitoring and maintaining all federal roads in the country.

IT was created to ensure fast response to road damage by bypassing the red tape of the ministry. But sadly since its establishment and take  off in 2003, the agency has been lethargic and grossly    incompetent in  all ramifications.

THE  tales of woes from commuters plying federal roads across the nation have  been embarrassing to a country that prides itself as giant of Africa.

OF most embarrassing, lamentable and worrying is the Akure/Owo/Ikare road that has claimed many lives because of its bad shape. Despite the recent repair work being carried out by FERMA on the ever busy  and transit road to the Federal Capital, Abuja and the northern States, the repair has shown unseriousness of the agency in meeting the aspirations of road users in the state.

A visit to the road still under repairs especially a portion after Uso on the ever busy Akure-Owo highway will give a graphic and horrific  shoddy job done by the agency. This portion which is due to  asphalt  failure  constitutes a threat to motorists and road users and is already peeling off obviously  due to shoddy job.

IT is therefore worrisome that on paper this road would have been claimed totally completed and repaired by the agency, but  glaringly and worryingly that  nothing was  achieved on the road which has  continued to claim more innocent souls on daily basis.

ACCORDING  to World Highways, road infrastructure makes a crucial contribution to economic development and growth.

ACCORDING to the  Forum  roads are the arteries through which the economy pulses.”

WE therefore canvass that crumbling federal road network of Akure/Owo/Ikare should be dualized. What the road needs is dualization giving the heavy traffic on the route.

IN addition to this, states and local governments where federal roads are being constructed or maintained should show interest and make observations when necessary. They should know that everyone is paying for this through tax. If the roads are not thoroughly done, it will backfire on us all.

ALSO,  Federal Road Controller or Director in each state should make appropriate observations to the appropriate authorities on state of roads in their domains.

AGAIN, The Hope enjoined  professionals especially indigenous engineers in the country  to show patriotism  by protecting  public  facilities  and by extension  public  interest on road construction or maintenance. They should know that roads shoddily done in their territories will erode public respect about  their competence  or  otherwise.

WE implore  Ondo State representatives in the National Assembly  to  show more interest on roads being constructed in their constituencies. They should be alive to their responsibilities by monitoring the contractors to comply with specifications. The law makers should work with  committee  members  on FERMA to  do more effective  monitoring on roads being constructed and not just  staying aloof in their chambers.

THE  President Mohammadu Buhari who has been taking the bashing for poor state of our roads has a responsibility to call his   Minister for Works,  Babatunde Fashola  to look urgently at FERMA case and make the agency efficient through proper funding and effective monitoring.