By Jonathan Lois & Mercy Aikoye
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said that N18.6 trillion is required to address the nation’s road sector in the next four years.
He said this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation on Wednesday to defend the N300 billion for the Ministry of Works from the N2.17 trillion supplementary budget.
Umahi also appealed for the provision of contingency funds for the Ministry to deal with emergency situations as it pertains to the roads.
The Minister also insisted on its decision on the construction of concrete roads, as it said it is less expensive and more durable.
He said the request for the 2023 supplementary budget became necessary to restore some of the funds removed from the 2022 supplementary appropriation in order to enhance project completion and provide emergency repair works on failed sections roads.
He said the sum of N300 billion proposed for the Ministry of Works is targeted especially to the highway sectors.
This, he said, is to ensure free flow of traffic on the federal roads network to enhance movement especially as yuletide approaches as well as tackle the problem of insecurity.
“On the whole, to address our road sector for the four years, we would be needing about N18.6 trillion and so the National Assembly must have to wear its thinking cap on how we can address seriously our road sector.
“I also appeal to the NASS that the executive to respect your motions on certain interventions. We must have a contingency fund. When you ask me to go and intervene on certain roads which have collapsed, and I have to liken the situation to a man on life support.
“The man needs immediate attention. Where there is an emergency the road is cut and the people are suffering, movement is stopped, it needs an emergency. So we appeal for contingency to respect your directives on fixing emergency situations,” he said.
Also appearing before the Committee was Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abuabakar Kyari, who got N200 billion from the supplementary budget.
He informed the Committee that N104.8 billion is for capital projects while N95.2 billion is for expenditure.
Giving a breakdown, he said: “We had a challenge of Anthrax, we had a disease that has threatened some states and if care is not taken it can wipe out livestock and it can be transferred to humans.
“It is important that it should be taken care of and we also have transboundary migratory pests like locusts so we have budgeted N9.1 billion for that purpose. In addition there is the issue of the strategic food reserve. So an amount of N25.5 billion has been earmarked for this.
“Also the provision of seeds and seedlings and other agric inputs for each zone of the country to the tune of N11.7 billion per zone. The National Agricultural Growth Scheme earmarked support for this at N25 billion. For the coming rainy season in 2024 we earmarked 11.7 billion per zone for the six zones of the country.”
He stressed the need to provide adequate security for farmers.
