DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT SYSTEM TO SAVE NIGERIAN ROADS FROM RECURRING COLLAPSE – EXPERT ADVICES FG
REPORTER: CHINAZO ILECHUKWU
The Federal Government has been urged to provide alternative means of transporting goods across the federation to save the road infrastructure from persistent failure.
A lecturer in the department of Civil Engineering, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Dr. Captain Otto, gave the advice at an event organized by the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency in Owerri, the Imo state capital.
He lamented the use of heavy duty vehicles to convey goods across the length and breadth of the country, noting that most Nigerian roads were not designed to carry such load.
Dr. Otto said unless alternative means of transportation like rail and sea were encouraged, the government would continue to spend its meager resources on maintenance of roads.
He advocated increased budgetary allocation to the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to enable it to achieve its mandate.
The Federal Roads Maintenance Engineer in charge of Imo State, Mr. Chukwuemeka Maduagwu, said the Agency had undertaken the repair of federal roads across the state to ease movement during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
He advised motorists to drive carefully to reduce carnage on the nation’s highways.
The Managing Director FEEMA, Mr. Nurudeen Rafindadi, in a message said the Agency would continue to discharge its duties within the available resources to ensure safety on the highways.
Highlight of the event was the inauguration of an acces road to Owerri Engineering Centre constructed by FERMA.