Edo Assembly Approves N1.5B loan facility for maintenance and rehabilitation of internal roads in Edo

....... summons Federal  controller of works to plenary next week Tuesday

Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly Rt Hon Blessing Sheriff Agbebaku has summoned the Controller, Federal Ministry of Works to the hallowed Chambers next week tuesday.

Rt Hon Blessing Sheriff Agbebaku gave the summons during the plenary over the refusal of the controller of works to appear with the director of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, who was present.

During plenary, the Speaker, Rt Hon Blessing Agbebaku led other members to question the Director, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Engr Muktar Ibrahim on the condition of Federal Roads in the state including the Benin- Auchi  Road, Benin- ore road: specifically the ovia River Bridge; as well as other deplorable Federal Roads in the State.

Responding to the questions by the honourable members, the director, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Engr Muktar Ibrahim disclosed that in the state, there are 19 Federal roads spanning 1,265 kilometers, while 5 of these roads are under rehabilitation; these Include Benin-Warri Road, Benin-Auchi Road, Auchi -Igarra-Ibillo Road, Ewu - Uromi Road and Illushi- Uromi Road.

Engr Muktar Ibrahim also disclosed that FERMA as an agency only deals with rehabilitation of roads and not construction, stressing that it is the duty of Federal Ministry of works to undertake construction.

He explained that the remaining 13 roads are maintained by FERMA, stating that some of the roads are getting old; an with the increasing amount of rainfall and higher traffic on these roads which the said roads do not have the capacity to carry are some factors for the deplorable state of these Roads .

 

Rounding off the debate, Speaker, Rt Hon Blessing Sheriff Agbebaku stated that the presence of FERMA is no longer felt in the state as it used to be .

He thereafter re-invited the federal controller of works to be at plenary on Tuesday next week to answer questions about the state of Federal Roads in the state.

Also at Plenary, Under messages from the Governor, a letter was read  by the Clerk of the house, Alhaji Yahaya Audu Omogbai on plans by the State government to raise a loan Facility from Sterling Bank  to the tune of 1.5 Billion Naira to maintain and rehabilitate Internal roads.

Leading the debate on the approval, member representing Ovia North East 1 and  majority leader Hon Charity Aiguobarueghian stated that it is timely as the indigenes in the state are challenged by difficulties to Wade through roads which leads to waste of man's hours, and this loan by the state government is not for a jamboree but for the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads which affects all in the state.

Others who supported the move include, the member representing Oredo West, Dr Edosa Osaro, member representing Akoko Edo  2 , Hon Donald Okogbe amongst others were unanimous in their support for the facility to give the people good motorable roads.

Concluding, Speaker, RT Hon Blessing Agbebaku stated that with the incessant rainfall and deplorable state of roads, the 1.5Billion Naira loan facility is a welcome development and subsequently called on the Clerk to make clean copies available to relevant authorities.

The house also passed at second reading a bill for a law to make provision  against Open defecation in Edo state, to prevent environmental and health hazards, strengthen and sustain Edo State Open  defecation Fee, ODF status ,2023 and for other matters connected purposes and committed it to the committee on environment for further action.

The house later adjourned plenary to Monday 31st of July 2023.

By; Ivy Adodo