The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency on Tuesday said it was working towards repositioning the agency to enable it to carry out its road rehabilitation mandate more effectively.
The Chairman of the Committee, Aderemi Oseni, made the pledge at the inaugural meeting of the panel in Abuja.
The committee, he said, is committed to the betterment of the nation’s road network, adding that it would endeavor to ensure they are in good condition for the use of Nigerians at all times.
He said,
“As we embark on this journey to revitalise FERMA and address the challenges plaguing road maintenance in Nigeria, it is important to first acknowledge the significance of our role.
“FERMA plays a critical role in ensuring that federal road networks are safe, efficient, and reliable. However, we must also recognise the numerous problems that have hindered FERMA’s effectiveness in the past”.
He noted that Nigeria’s road networks have experienced a multitude of challenges, including insufficient funding, inadequate maintenance strategies, a lack of modern infrastructure, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
The challenges, he stressed, have over the years, led to deteriorating road conditions, and increased road crashes, culminating in the loss of lives.
“Our task, as members of this committee, is to tackle these challenges head-on and rebirth a new FERMA that works,” he added.
The lawmaker also hinted that he had drafted a 14-point legislative agenda for FERMA revitalisation and the document will serve as a roadmap for repositioning, rebirthing, and strengthening the agency for better performance.
The committee he said, will work towards achieving improved road maintenance and use the instrument of effective legislation, oversight, partnership, knowledge sharing, collaboration, and adherence to the best global practices to revitalize, reposition, reengineer, and rebirth FERMA, ushering in a new era of improved road maintenance and efficiency for Nigerians.
This approach, he added, recognises the need for a knowledgeable, professional, upright, and diligent legislative committee that will prioritize the best interests of Nigerians.
In his words, a partnership between the Committee and FERMA will be in the best interest of Nigeria.