Senate Asks FG To Release N300bn For Repair Of Niger State Roads

The Senate has called on the Federal Government to provide emergency intervention fund to the tune of N300 billion to repair critical roads in Niger State.

The lawmakers made the call during Tuesday’s plenary following two motions by Senators Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger) and Lekan Mustapha (APC, Ogun) on the state of federal roads across the country.

Senator Abdullahi drew the attention of the house to the blockade on critical roads in Niger State by truck drivers, protesting the deplorable condition of the roads, which they said had resulted in loss of lives and goods worth millions of Naira, as THE WHISTLER earlier reported.

He said the only major motorable road in the state has been under intense pressure and may not last beyond two years if other critical roads were not fixed urgently.

The lawmaker lamented that roads under construction in the state have been abandoned by contractors due to lack of funds.

On his part, Senator Bima Enagi (APC, Niger) expressed concerns that only N60 billion out of N250 billion had been released for about 15 road projects that had been awarded in Niger State.

Consequently, the Senate urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency on critical roads in Niger State.

It called on the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to release funds for the emergency repair of bad roads and bridges nationwide.

The Red Chamber also asked the federal government to direct the ministry of works to carry out emergency stabilisation of the failed portions of roads to ease the current result and rate of accidents, causing loss of lives and goods and investments on the road.