The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has demanded explanations from the agency over the persistent deterioration of federal roads across the South-South region despite years of budgetary allocations for their maintenance.
Chairman of the committee and member representing Orhionmwon/Uhunmwonde Federal Constituency of Edo State, Hon. Chief Dr. Billy Adesuwa Osawaru, expressed dissatisfaction with the state of key federal highways, particularly those in the Calabar axis, during an oversight session with officials of the agency at the National Assembly.
Osawaru said the continued neglect of critical road infrastructure had subjected commuters, businesses and residents to avoidable hardship, stressing that repeated assurances by FERMA had failed to translate into visible improvements on the roads.
He maintained that the people of Cross River State and the wider South-South region deserved a more responsive approach to road maintenance, warning that the committee would no longer accept excuses from agencies entrusted with managing public infrastructure.
According to him, the National Assembly is committed to ensuring that every appropriation made for road maintenance delivers measurable value to Nigerians.
The committee's displeasure was further heightened when the representative of FERMA's Managing Director, Mr. Yusman Mohammed, a director in the agency, failed to present critical documents requested by lawmakers on several ongoing and completed road maintenance projects.
The absence of the documents, members of the committee noted, hampered effective legislative scrutiny of the agency's activities and raised concerns over the implementation of projects funded with public resources.
Following the development, Osawaru directed the Managing Director of FERMA, the Director of Finance and Administration, as well as all departmental heads, to appear before the committee at its next sitting with comprehensive records relating to the projects under review.
He stressed that the House would fully exercise its constitutional oversight powers to ensure transparency, accountability and prudent management of funds appropriated for the maintenance of federal roads.
The committee subsequently adjourned its sitting, reiterating that all relevant officials must appear with the requested documents, as lawmakers intensify efforts to determine how appropriated funds have been utilised and why many federal roads in the South-South remain in poor condition.
