Kogi federal roads deserves attention – Senator Adeyemi

Senator representing Kogi West, Senator Smart Adeyemi, has called on the Federal Government to pay more attention to federal roads transversing his home state of Kogi.

His submission was the sequel to a motion, “Urgent Need for Rehabilitation of Itobe – Ajaokuta Road,” sponsored by Senator representing Kogi East, Jibrin Isah.

Senator Isah noted that the Itobe – Ajaokuta road in Kogi State, is a major route for commuters and motorists, in particular, from Southeast, part of Northcentral and Kogi East to Abuja and other parts of the North.

He further expressed concern “that a portion of the road, covering about 5 kilometres has deteriorated so much so that commuters and motorists spend about two hours on this portion.”

Calling for emergency action on the road, Senator Isa said with the temporary closure of Enugu Airport, many Nigerians from the Southeast geopolitical zone would be compelled to use the route from Abuja.

In his contribution, Senator Adeyemi said the deleterious condition of roads in Kogi state was as a result of the location of the state which had nine major states sharing boundaries with Truck A roads.

He declared that the urge to make the roads comfortable for Kogi citizens and other Nigerians must have informed huge amounts being spent by the state government to make the roads motorable.

He said: “Travellers do not want to know that such roads are Federal Government roads which compelled Kogi State government to maintain and rehabilitate such major roads.”

He, however, called for more refunds from the Federal Government to Kogi State government, adding that the ten billion refunded this year was outstanding of money spent about three years ago on some federal roads, and further noted that no state apart from Lagos State could boast of the heavy traffic gate crossing Kogi state from nine different state sharing boundaries with Kogi State.

Senator Adeyemi further told his colleagues that there were still billions of naira spent by governor Yahaya Bello on federal roads yet to be paid.

He called upon the Federal Government to involve private investors in road construction and management in order to ensure that federal roads were motorable.

The Senate in its resolution mandated the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency,(FERMA) to commence immediate palliative work on the road.