Fashola Flags Off Ember Month Rehabilitation Works, Advocates Synergy Among All Stakeholders ·       Says purpose is to find solutions to the problems created by months of rainfall and adverse weather on Federal Roads. ·       Appeals to Motorists to comply with traffic regulations, especially 100 KM Speed Limit ·       NARTO, NUPENG, NURTW, FERMA, FRSC, FG’s Contractors fully represented The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has presided over the seasonal EMBER Months Rehabilitation Briefing in Abuja advocating a synergy among all the stakeholders in the nation’s road transportation sector to achieve a safe and pleasurable travel experience during the coming festivities. Addressing stakeholders made up of representatives of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Petroleum Truck Drivers Chapter of the NUPENG, and National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) , the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) as well as government contractors, Fashola said the only way to achieve the said objective was to work in collaboration during the period. The Minister, who noted that adverse weather has always posed a challenge to nations globally, pointed out that the only solution was to plan for such periods and ensure that whatever damages or failures caused by such adverse weather were addressed immediately after the period to restore status of the roads. Referring to the presentations earlier made by some of the Agencies of government, Fashola noted that it was a result of many weeks of planning, likening it to the recent Ministerial Retreat where all the Ministers’ Sectoral activities were evaluated. The Minister said aside the transport unions and other road users, the meeting was also important for contractors pointing out that although the period was the time contractor would like to continue their main projects it was equally important to create a period during which the contractors would work on the failures to enable travellers have a pleasurable time during the period. Fashola said the Ministry chose to hold the meeting because, “It is a festive period, it is a period of heightened movement of goods and services, a period when families reunite, it is a period when our brothers and sisters from other parts of the world come home, it is also a time when some people get married”. “This is the reality of our live experience. All of the people involved in transportation, whether Aviation, whether shipping, it is a very busy period, the port is busier during the period, airports are busier during the period and so are the roads”, the Minister said. Pointing out that construction still takes place during the period, he added, “contractors at this period are usually more interested in continuing their main work rather than going to repair failures, in order to complete their main contract. So what we try to do is to get them to realize that what interests the road users at this time is not the new road but the part they cannot pass”. Fashola said the Ministry has also commenced a plan ahead of the EMBER period because, according to him, “During December to January things seem to normalize. Between January and June vehicles rarely get stuck” adding that on roads like Lagos-Otta, Calabar-Itu, vehicles rarely get stuck during the period”. “It is from July through August and September when the rains start that vehicles get stuck”, the Minister said adding that while the rains may favour the fisherman and the farmer, the transporter, whether Aviation, Shipping on Road, the rain poses challenges to all transport logisticians. “Whether it is shipping, whether it is Aviation, whether it is the road, bad weather poses challenges to all transport logisticians. Flight are cancelled, ships can’t sail, water flood roads and rail stations. We see them all over the world whether as typhoons or hurricanes”, he said. He noted, however that such periods of discomfort which last for a short while, should not be a reason to stop the movement of people. Pointing out that the meeting helps the stakeholders to gather and find solution to the challenges and facilitate the movement of people, Fashola explained that strike as threatened by one of the stakeholders was not a solution adding that it would serve the people better if every stakeholder joins in finding solution to the challenges. The Minister stressed the need for evolving strategies to solve the problem posed by adverse weather on the nation’s roads saying going on strike would impose more hardship on the people, who, according to him, are struggling to make ends meet. Recalling the presentation made earlier by the Director Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation who put the amount needed to effect repairs on the identified road failures across the country at N75 billion, the Minister, who said the year’s budget could not cover such an amount added that the only alternative was to seek alternative sources of funding including borrowing. He charged those who criticise the government’s borrowing to proffer a solution or the alternative to borrowing so that the needed amount could be raised to carry out the needed repairs. According to him, such critics are only familiar with home economic but do not know public financing. “In your home you can stop some things, in public financing you cannot stop anything. You cannot stop building the roads, you cannot stop the provision of security, you can’t stop packing refuse. It has to be done,” he said. Describing the nation’s transport strategy as the “Eight Wonder of the World”, Fashola said a situation where all heavy cargoes such as petroleum products and other heavy equipment are transported by road could not be described any other way pointing out that it is only in Nigeria that it was happening. “There is no country where they do what we are doing transporting all heavy cargoes by road”, the Minister said expressing the hope that as the rail network increases more of such heavy cargoes would be moved by rail transportation. “That is when we will have real value of the roads”, he said. Appealing to the road users, especially the cargo handlers and other transporters such as the petroleum tanker and truck drivers as well as others commercial drivers to comply with traffic regulations, Fashola said adding, “One of the road regulations I would like you to comply with is the Maximum Speed Limit on our highways. It is 100 kilometres not 101 kilometres”. “Help us tell your members. All the data that we have about road accident show us that speed violation is the largest contributor. It is excessive speeding that is the largest contributor. Our responsibility is to build the roads but the responsibility of enforcement of regulations is FRSC’s work”, the Minister told the transport unions. He disclosed that the Ministry has started calibrating the nation’s weighbridges adding that the government would henceforth start enforcing regulations starting from Lagos and urged the FRSC to begin this season to intensify enforcement of regulations, especially ensuring that any driver behind the wheels has a valid drivers’ license. In his presentation earlier, the Director Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation, Engr. Folorunsho Esan had said 194 damaged roads sections “in the six geo-political zones and major links to the 36 States of the Federation that required urgent palliative works to avoid further deterioration were identified” were identified during the surveys directed by the Minister adding that N75.8 billion would be required to fix them. However, due to paucity of funds, the Department identified 14 critical road corridors with heavy vehicular traffic that need repairs to ensure smooth travels across the country during the yuletide season. In his presentation, the representative from FERMA said the agency identified damages within 17 road corridors across the country, including Lagos-Shagamu-Benin-Asaba-Onitsha, Lokoja- Kabba- Omuo-Ifaki-Ado Ekiti, Umuahia-Ikot-Ekpene-Uyo, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Akwanga-Jos, Kano-Azare-Potiskum and Zaria-Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto, among others. Also in their presentations, representatives of major contractors, such as CGC, RCC, JBN, ARAB Contractors, Mothercat, CCECC and Sermatech, among others, acknowledged the directives of the Minister to provide palliatives to road sections within their projects damaged by the rains and promised compliance. Earlier in his opening remark, the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Babangida Hussaini, said the purpose of the yearly meeting was to take stock of challenges posed by the passing Rainy Season and provide solutions in order to ensure shorter travel time and pleasurable journey across the country during the festivities. Also present at the briefing were Directors, Federal Controllers of Works from some of the States and Special Advisers from the Ministry as well as contractors and other and other stakeholders.   ...

EMBER Period: Fashola Advises Motorists On Traffic Rules Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has called on motorists to be cautious and obey traffic rules during this EMBER period. Fashola, who was spoke at an interactive session with stakeholders in the transport industry organized by his Ministry, stressed the importance of obeying rules and regulations guiding the use of Nigerian roads, especially during the coming festive period. Lamenting the loss of lives resulting from accidents on Nigeria roads, the Minister charged the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) to ensure that road users do not exceed the speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour recommended by the law. He further urged the leaders of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and National Union of Petroleum and Gas (NUPENG) to sensitize their members on the voluntary compliance with road safety regulations, pointing out that excessive speeding and disobedience to traffic rules were among the major cause of accidents. “I want to appeal mostly on compliance with road regulations. What I want to appeal for is the maximum speed limit on highway. It is 100kilometres, not 101 kilometres; help us to tell your members not to exceed 100 kilometres. It is important, that is the first step to save life,” he said. Speaking earlier, the Director, Highways Rehabilitation and Construction, Engineer, Funso Esan, noted that 194 failures have been identified on14 critical roads recording heavy traffic for urgent repairs during the yuletide period in order to ease traffic and ensure more pleasurable travel experience for motorists. He explained that the Ministry would award emergency repair contracts to any contractor who could work at short notice to fix the roads. “We need you very urgently to carry out palliatives on our roads”, Esan told the contactors. In attendance were the representatives of National Union Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Gas (NUPENG).     ...

Oversight Visit: Lawmakers Commend Fashola, Ministry Over Progress In Roads Sector -  Call for commissioning of completed projects as means to publicize achievements in road transportation infrastructure. Members of the Senate Committee on Works on Friday commended the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, and his Team for the progress so far made on the on-going construction, rehabilitation, and expansion of roads across the country. The Committee members who made the commendation when they paid an Oversight visit to the Ministry, also called for the commissioning of completed projects saying it would enable Nigerians know and appreciate what the Muhammadu Buhari administration has been doing with the nation’s resources since inception. Addressing the Management of the Ministry, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Adamu Aliero, expressed appreciation on the work of the Ministry in terms of road construction and rehabilitation saying it has become necessary to commission the finished projects for the Nigerian public to see. The Chairman who said the Committee recently concluded a nationwide tour of the road and bridge projects, declared, “We have to let the public know what the President has done in the road sector. I appeal that you take the initiative to commission the completed parts or sections of the roads”. Also speaking in the same vein, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, noted that a lot has been achieved in the last six years in the road sector but because the completed roads were not being commissioned, most Nigerians found it difficult to appreciate the achievements. Senator Ekweremadu noted that some of the contractors have done well in carrying out their assignments on the road projects while others have not and thus recommended that in the face of paucity of funds, those contractors doing good jobs should be paid while those not doing well should be sanctioned. He added that it was better to use available funds to pay those contractors performing well instead of waiting for those who are not doing well. In his remarks, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, who described the progress so far made on the on-going road construction and rehabilitation nationwide as tremendous, declared, “This administration has done very well by moving people from poverty to prosperity”, pointing out that it has completed almost all the projects inherited from the previous administration. He told the Minister, “I appreciate what you are doing even though you will receive a lot of criticisms, we know you are doing well”. Also reiterating the importance of commissioning the completed projects, the lawmaker said, “We have to blow our own trumpet to make Nigerians know what we are doing”.  In his remarks, the Minister explained that the concern of the Ministry was principally to ensure completion of the roads to give Nigerians quality travel time in terms of journey time and experience adding that Federal roads are very long roads that connect cities and states as opposed to the intra-city roads. “I have continuously explained to people that the roads that belong to the federal government are very long roads. They are roads that connect cities and states together, unlike intra-city roads that connect local governments together”. “So, sometimes somebody will ask me ‘when are you going to commission the roads’. And I ask them, “How, for instance, do you commission Kano-Maiduguri Road; where do you start the commissioning from”, the Minister said.   According to him, “Completion happens in the way we do construction, you close up a Section of the road while constructing and after finishing, you open it up for use. The day you start driving on the roads, it means the roads have been commissioned”. Noting that commissioning was better suited for municipal roads of five to ten kilometres, Fashola, however promised that the Ministry would consider commissioning some of the completed roads adding that the priority at the moment was to give Nigerians a good road network especially during the coming EMBER MONTHS. In the robust question and answer session, some of the Lawmakers raised the issue of delays in the completion of some major roads, especially those leading or passing through their constituencies or districts urging the Minister to use his good offices to ensure their completion before the exit of the administration. Responding, Fashola listed some reasons for apparent delays in project completion to include, paucity of funds, topography of the project location and problems of climate change pointing out that the Rainy Season in Nigeria is always very challenging, especially to road construction. “The other point I want to make is that the Rainy Season is always very challenging in Nigeria in terms of transport logistics”, the Minister said adding that roads through swampy or muddy terrains always pose more difficulties during construction as the top soils have to be replaced. On the issue of the major projects funded under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) initiative – Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the 2nd Niger Bridge-, Fashola said much progress have been made on them adding the Buhari administration was committed to delivering them before 2023.   ...