By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of State for Works, Muhammad Goronyo, has said annual budgets alone cannot fund Nigerian road projects.
He said over 35,000 kilometre of federal roads across the country need alternative ways to fund them.
Goronyo revealed this while while addressing the Management and Staff of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Kogi State Field Office at Lokoja during a maiden visit alongside the MD/CEO, Engr Chukwumeka Agbasi.
In a statement issued by Mohammed Ahmed, director, press and Public Relations in the ministry, said Bola Tinubu’s administration is determined to fix all the roads to ensure a drastic reduction in the level of unemployment, rate of crimes, and insecurity.
The statement reads, ” Let me commend Tinubu for his determination. I have never seen a President so committed to sustaining physical assets nationwide. The administration gives priority to various road projects scattered across the country.
“This shows that he is a patriotic Nigerian. He is undertaking these projects so that our economy can be improved, and the rate of unemployment, poverty, and crimes will be reduced.
“We are seeing the Super Highways from Ilelah to Sokoto to Badagry and another from Lagos to Calabar.”
Goronyo, who commended the staff of FERMA for their resilience and hard work over the years, noted that despite insecurity, and inadequate funding, Nigerians have been commending them for their excellent work.
He urged them to bear with the Ministry of Works over their entitlements, disclosing that their requests for adjustment and increment in consequential salaries have been forwarded to the Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission for consideration and approval.
On funding for the maintenance of roads, Goronyo said, “about 35,000 kilometre of roads cannot be funded and maintained overnight. We have to look for alternative sources of funding so that we can continue to maintain our physical assets, which are the roads. We have to create new ways of funding and new alternatives”
He assured that the Government is focused on ensuring that projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner with robust oversight and contractors’ compliance. He also added “I am calling on all of you to support us to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu succeeds in his mandate to deliver on the 8-point Renewed Hope Agenda. We must put Nigeria first before our interests. Let us fix our roads, we must think positively.”
