For urgent repairs of road damaged by flooding across the country, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has requested for N100 billion intervention fund from the federal government.
This is as the Senate Committee on Special Duties, decried N774 million earmarked as capital votes for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the 2023 fiscal year.
The N100 billion intervention fund was sought by the Managing Director of FERMA, Engr Nurudeen Abdulrahman Rafindadi, Monday, at the National Assembly during 2023 budget defence session he had with the Senate Committee on FERMA.
Rafindadi, who made the request in response to question asked by chairman of the committee, Senator Gershom Bassey (PDP Cross River South) on steps being taken by FERMA to re – fix the washed away roads, said evaluation carried out by the agency showed that N100 billion is urgently needed as intervention fund for road repairs in the affected areas.
“FERMA has more significant role to play in getting things right in the flooded areas in terms of creating access for emergency services or relief materials.
“Without re – fixing the damaged roads across the flooded areas, no relief material or emergency services can be given to victims.
“Evaluation of damages done on the affected roads across the states, have been carried out, requiring N100 billion for re – fixing,” he said.
Earlier in his submission before the committee on the 2023 budget, the FERMA boss said N31.6 billion envelope was given to the agency as capital votes for 2023 fiscal year.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Special Duties, has decried the N774 million earmarked as capital votes for NEMA in 2023.
The committee headed by Senator Yusuf A Yusuf (APC Taraba Central), frowned at the allocation in the face of enormous emergency services NEMA has at hands to offer victims of flooded areas across the country.
Specifically, a member of the committee, Senator Francis Fadahunsi (PDP Osun East) said NEMA should be moved away from Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to the Presidency.
“The problem or disaster at hand far outweighs the paltry sum of N774 million earmarked as capital votes for 2023 fiscal year in the face of emergency services running into billions of Naira to be offered to people and communities affected by flood across the country,” he said.
Earlier in his submission, the NEMA boss, Mustapha Habeeb Muhammed, told the committee that warning given by NEMA before the flood disasters were not heeded by the state and local governments in the affected areas.
