Senate seeks N500bn from Service Wide Votes for road rehabilitation

The Senate on Wednesday in Abuja canvassed for allocation of N500 billion from the Service Wide Votes (SWV) to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, for the urgent rehabilitation of flood-affected roads across the country.

The Senate resolution was a sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senator Bassey Gershom (PDP Cross River South).

Leading debate on the motion, Senator Bassey noted that this year’s floods are the worst that Nigeria has experienced in decades as the rise in water level is more than the 2012 and 2020 episodes.

He also stated that the 2022 floods have further worsened the deplorable state of Nigeria’s federal roads.

The lawmaker argued that the justification for the proposed money becomes necessary since some major interstate roads are impassably washed off and bridges, creating economic and human security crises.

Senator Bassey also said that road transportation is the major means of transportation in Nigeria since air transportation and others are not within reach of most Nigerians

He added that the heavy vehicular and human movement of Nigerians associated with the end-of-year festivities would be impacted negatively due to the deplorable roads occasioned by the 2022 flood.

The Senate, therefore, directed that the NNPC Ltd Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme should be expanded to cover the maintenance of failed sections of federal roads.