Reps panel: Nigerians see FERMA as inefficient and corrupt

The house of representatives committee on federal roads maintenance says the deplorable state of thoroughfares in the country has caused “untold hardship” to Nigerians.

Speaking on Thursday at the panel’s inaugural meeting, Aderemi Oseni, chairman of the committee, said the public sees the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) as corrupt and inefficient.

He said while FERMA was established to maintain federal roads, and has made efforts to fulfill this role, the nation’s road surfaces continue to deteriorate. 

“It saddens me to say that the state of our roads has reached a deplorable state, resulting in untold hardship for our fellow Nigerians, hampering economic growth, and tarnishing our nation’s image,” the lawmaker said.

“The image of FERMA in the eyes of the public is one of inefficiency, corruption, and ineptitude.

“This is a reality we cannot ignore and thus a perception that must be changed, and it is our duty as representatives of the people to take decisive actions to address this issue and ensure that FERMA becomes a beacon of hope for Nigerians.

“Let me state unequivocally that the 10th national assembly will not accept business as usual in FERMA.

“The days of huge budgetary allocations with little or no impact on road maintenance are over. We are here to ensure that every naira spent by FERMA delivers tangible results for the Nigerian people.”

Oseni said the committee will work with FERMA’s management team and the board members to “usher in a new era” for the agency.

“Our aim is to rejuvenate, reposition, and redefine the agency in order to effectively fulfill its mandate,” he said.

While addressing the lawmakers, Chukwuemeka Agbasi, the managing director of FERMA, said the agency’s greatest challenge is funding and that N300 billion is needed annually to maintain the nation’s roads.

“Funding is an issue. The current estimate of our funding need is about N300 billion but we have never had that type of money and it is an issue,” he said.

“We are looking at other sources of funding in the work that FERMA engages in outside the budgetary provisions that are provided by the government.”

Agbasi added that the agency has liabilities of over N100 million and did not pay contractors from 2015 to 2021.