The lawmakers important that the North-east remains the suitable zone no longer related to the superhighway undertaking below President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Senate on Thursday asked the federal government to include North-eastern states in the newly current superhighway undertaking.
The upper chamber also entreated the government to approve the rehabilitation of all aged roads nationwide.
The resolutions adopted a motion backed by Gombe Central Senator Danjuma Goje during the plenary session on Thursday.
Mr Goje, a extinct governor of Gombe Scream, expressed issues about excluding the North-east zone from the N4.2 trillion road undertaking current by the Federal Govt Council (FEC) on 3 February.
The FEC had current the event and rehabilitation of a couple of main highways and bridges, including Lagos – Calabar Road, Delta Scream Access Road, Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Third Mainland Bridge, Onitsha – Owerri Expressway, and a couple of different others in the course of Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Niger, Adamawa, Taraba and other states.
Nonetheless, Mr Goje pointed out that the North-east became once allotted finest two projects, particularly Yola – Fufore – Gurin Road (N11.81 billion) in Adamawa Scream and Lamido Road (N7.68 billion) in Taraba Scream.
He stated the allocation for the zone became once inadequate when the N4.2 trillion total budget for road projects is believed to be.
Mr Goje also listed a couple of serious roads in the jam that were in dire need of reconstruction, particularly Bauchi – Gombe Road, Potiskum – Gombe Road, Yola – Mubi Road, Biu – Damboa – Maiduguri Road and Numan – Jalingo Road.
He maintained that the North-east remains the suitable zone no longer related to the superhighway undertaking below President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Contributions
Lots of the senators who contributed to the motion supported Mr Goje, basing their argument on the wretched whisper of roads in the course of the nation.
Tahir Monguno (APC, Borno North) lamented that the North-east became once the most marginalised jam in terms of infrastructure and that it’s negatively impacting economic actions.
Mr Monguno, the senate chief whip, entreated his colleagues to give a carry to the motion.
Sani Musa (APC, Niger East) suggested summoning the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to explain why main roads remain in unsightly situation despite the provision of SUKUK funds.
Titus Zam (APC, Benue North-west) also complained about the Makurdi road, noting that it had develop into bad.
“The Makurdi road, as I talk to you, is no longer motorable. Several times, I have drawn the attention of the Senate on the need to access the federal roads,” he stated.
Sunday Karimi (APC, Kogi West) proposed bringing support toll gates to generate funds for road maintenance.
He stated in other international locations, road users make contributions to infrastructure funding thru toll funds, and Nigeria might well serene adopt the same reach.
Deputy Minority Leader Oyewunmi Olalere (PDP, Osun South) emphasised that the wretched whisper of roads became once a nationwide topic, no longer appropriate a North-east difficulty.
Adeola Olamilekan (APC, Ogun West) stated President Tinubu had allocated N500 billion in the 2025 budget for ongoing road projects.
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Calls for roadmap
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, criticised outdated administrations for neglecting road infrastructure, leading to disrepair.
“I believe strongly that if the previous administration had gone into serious construction, we wouldn’t have this deplorable state of roads,” he stated.
Mr Akpabio called for a comprehensive roadmap and a maintenance approach to forestall extra deterioration of roads in the course of the nation.
“We should have a road map on how to maintain our roads. We will continue to have these issues unless we sit down…..even if we declare the roads a state of emergency, we need to have a roadmap,” Mr Akpabio stated.
Many senators supported the motion when the senate president assign it to a issue vote.
