The Minister of Power, works and Housing, Mr babatunde Fashola who was the former governor of Lagos state says Nigeria needs emergency action to guarantee a rapid turnaround of the deplorable road network in the country.
The former governor stated this while speaking with newsmen during the assessment of the deplorable condition of the 96-kilometer Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road yesterday.
We gather that the minister's convoy had to use a bush path to traverse the persistent traffic gridlock which often left many articulated vehicles and heavy trucks stranded for days. it was also gathered that the journey from Jebba to Ilorin, which is less than 100 kilometers, lasted four hours while many of the vehicles suffered malfunction due to the logjam.
Fashola said that the road must be rehabilitated urgently because it is one of Nigeria's "critical strategic economic roads". The minister also so said "what the nation needs now is an emergency action, not declaration of emergency."
"We have declared too many emergencies. this is the time to take emergent and sensible action."
The National assembly should fast track the passage of the budget so that we can address the ugly situation of our roads.
This is intolerable for the ordinary people because their businesses and sources of livelihood depends on this roads, so this can't continue, he said.
He also called for an amendment of the procurement law to increase the percentage of mobilization for road contracts to enable contractors deliver completed projects without delay. He said the mobilization should be increase from 15 percent to 40 percent for road contractors so that they can get enough materials to sites.
The minister also pledges that the ministry would judiciously deploy human and material resources to creatively restore quality roads in all sections of the country.
The former governor stated this while speaking with newsmen during the assessment of the deplorable condition of the 96-kilometer Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa road yesterday.
We gather that the minister's convoy had to use a bush path to traverse the persistent traffic gridlock which often left many articulated vehicles and heavy trucks stranded for days. it was also gathered that the journey from Jebba to Ilorin, which is less than 100 kilometers, lasted four hours while many of the vehicles suffered malfunction due to the logjam.
Fashola said that the road must be rehabilitated urgently because it is one of Nigeria's "critical strategic economic roads". The minister also so said "what the nation needs now is an emergency action, not declaration of emergency."
"We have declared too many emergencies. this is the time to take emergent and sensible action."
The National assembly should fast track the passage of the budget so that we can address the ugly situation of our roads.
This is intolerable for the ordinary people because their businesses and sources of livelihood depends on this roads, so this can't continue, he said.
He also called for an amendment of the procurement law to increase the percentage of mobilization for road contracts to enable contractors deliver completed projects without delay. He said the mobilization should be increase from 15 percent to 40 percent for road contractors so that they can get enough materials to sites.
The minister also pledges that the ministry would judiciously deploy human and material resources to creatively restore quality roads in all sections of the country.
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