For the 35, 000-kilometre federal roads across the country to be motorable at all times, the sum of N400billion is required on yearly basis for maintenance, the National Assembly has declared .
It said the N38billion earmarked for that purpose in the 2021 budget proposal was infinitesimal for any serious road maintenance work across the country.
This is as joint committees on Appropriation at both Chambers worked round the clock for submission of harmonised report on the re-jigged N13.08trillion 2021 budget proposals.
Decrying the infinitesimal amount of monies budgeted for road maintenance on yearly basis by the federal government during an interview with journalists Friday, Chairman Senate Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency ( FERMA), Senator Gersome Bassey (PDP Cross Rivers South) , said N400 billion was required for such projects yearly.
In a country like Nigeria where road transportation is most used for movement of people, goods and services across the country, he said road maintenance can only be effectively carried out with roughly about N400billion on yearly basis.
“What the committee has just submitted to the Appropriation Committee for such exercise in 2021 fiscal year is the N38billion proposed for it by the executive, which cannot cover up to one quarter of the entire length of deplorable roads in the country.
“Unfortunately, despite having the power of Appropriation, we cannot, as a committee, jerk up the sum since we are not in a position to carry out the estimation of work to be done on each of the specific portion of the road.
“Doing that without proposals to that effect from the executive, may lead to project insertion or padding as often alleged in the media.
“But the situation on ground as far as the committees on FERMA at both Chambers are concerned, is very bad, requiring far more than N38billion earmarked.
“If the roads are well maintained on yearly basis, reconstruction and rehabilitation which require bigger amounts of monies and years to carry out, may not be necessary as frequently as they are now,” he said.
Being the last committee to submit its report to the Appropriation Committee Friday , Chairman Senate Appropriation Committee Jibrin Barau ( APC Kano North ) , said the next stage of work for the committee, was to carry out the required scrutinisation of the reports, harmonise with the House of Representatives for submission at both Chambers Thursday this week .
“The process of presentation of reports as regards the 2021 budget estimates for the various MDAs by the various committees scrutinising them is over since all of the them have submitted their reports .
“What remains now is for those of us in the Appropriation committee to collate the reports in harmonisation with the House of Representatives for final consideration and passage by both Chambers.
“Time table for that has already been drawn up and we shall work assiduously in keeping to it by submitting harmonized report of the budgetary proposal to the Senate on the 3rd of December, 2020 for final consideration and passage latest by the following week,” he said.
