By Nathaniel Zacchaeus
The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has asked the National Assembly to approve the N100bn intervention fund it was seeking from the federal government for the urgent repairs of roads damaged by floods across the country.

The Managing Director of FERMA, Nurudeen Rafindadi, made the request yesterday while defending the 2023 budget of his agency before the Senate Committee on FERMA.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Gershom Bassey (PDP Cross River South), had asked Rafindadi, about steps being taken by FERMA to repair roads destroyed by flood across the country.

He said the evaluation carried out by the agency, showed that N100bn was urgently needed as an intervention fund for road repairs in the affected areas.

He said, “FERMA has a more significant role to play in getting things right in the flooded areas in terms of creating access to 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.

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“Evaluation of damages done on the affected roads across the states, have been carried out, requiring N100bn for re-fixing,” he said.

The FERMA boss said N31.6bn envelope was given to the agency as capital votes for the 2023 fiscal year.

He lamented that the N31.6bn was not even half of the N70bn appropriated for a similar purpose in 2022.

All the members of the committee assured the FERMA boss that legislative intervention would be made towards the facilitation of the N100bn intervention fund for road repairs in areas affected by the flood.