… Federal budget allocation to FERMA is insufficient for effective road maintenance – Goronyo
In this article Group Business Editor Onu Okorie reviewed the impacts of snail speed approach adopted by Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA in repairing Nyanya FCT – Mararaba in Karu LGA Nasarawa state along Keffi federal Road axis. Excerpt.
When the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA rolled out equipments to commence a repairing work in the federal highway road Nyanya, a satellite town in the federal capital territory, FCT that link Keffi Nasarawa state federal Road axis early this year, it did not only brought a big hope for a new lease of life to residents in that area, it also gave them a sigh of relief as many thought that the FERMA would end the potholes that litter the all important road in no distant time.
But three months after, it became a huge disappointment for the residents who are now crying allowed for the problems FERMA has created for them. The narratives emanating from them show that FERMA’s infamous repairing work has brought untold hardships, accidents and has damaged the road the more.
The climax of the hardship FERMA brought to the people was dramatised during the celebration of the Eid Mubarak yuletide penultimate week. Naturally, the last festival celebrated by the Muslims all over the world is a very important one. It follows the end of one month of fasting journey. It’s expected to unite families and friends, which culminate into travelling from one point to another part of the county in order to meet rejoin and rejoice with them for the success of the fasting.
However, for those who travelled through, Abuja and Nasarawa end of the county, FERMA handed them what could best be described as nightmare. This is despite the fact that the federal government realised the bad state of the road and what it will mean if more pressure is exerted on it and decided that a maintenance work should be carried out on the road some months before the festival started.
The aim was to ensure that travellers to northern parts of the county who will use the roads will not face hard times. However, the FERMA did not only disappoint in not meeting up with the time but they added to the problems of travellers.
The FERMA in attempt to repair the road spent three months in effort to repair just one kilometer Road from Checking point to Sharp Corner yet there is not end in sight for the completion of the repair. Not only that the roads were scrapped, giving the travellers the false hope that the road will get at least a face lift before the festival started but it ended up in mirage. Added to that problem, FERMA has scrapped the road up to Masaka, thereby creating long distance, unending struggle, accident scene and despair for the people.
But that’s not where the problems end. There are also different stories about hardship and untold horrendous story of residents of Nyanya, Mararaba, New Karu, New Nyanya , Masaka un to Keffi town
Speaking to the Nigerian Pilot Newspapers, a driver who simply gave his name as Ali that spent 4 hours just to cross Nyanya – Mararaba axis last Saturday, March 29 2025, lamented that the FERMA has spoilt the day for travellers during the festival.
According to him “we have spent over four hours in a journey of two minutes from Nyanya to Maraba.” He said that apart from the traffic hold up created by the unwitting actions of FERMA, there were added bumps and potholes created by FERMA. “The repair work by FERMA along nyanya – Maraba – Karu – Masaka – keffi has turned to nightmare for travellers along that axis, particularly those coming and going to work in Abuja on daily basis. There so many accidents and suffering recording almost on daily basis, people are crying about it, what’s holding the completion of the repair”
Another driver who gave his name as Aminu wondered how FERMA was unable to fix less than one kilometer in two months. He said that he travels from Nyanya to Bauchi but the chance of meeting up with the time expected to reach his destination was lost.
For Abdullah who wanted to make sure that he celebrated with kiths and kins at Kano, last weekend was the worst experience he is ever having in this type of journey as all his plans of places and persons he wanted to meet was a dashed hope.
He described FERMA an agency that has lost its usefulness. “If you go around the country and observe how the federal roads have been damaged, then you will understand what am saying. There’s no good road anywhere.”
“The aim of setting up road maintenance agency was a good idea but the delivery of the idea is zero. I think the federal government should disband the agency and create another one with better focus” he stated.
Accidents: Following the lacklustre attitude towards the roads repairs on the Mararaba – Benue roads, it appears the place has been turned to everyday accident prone environment.
Last Thursday was very pathetic as trailer brought down a young man eking a living with Motorcycle, popularly known as bike, at the popular Mararaba Bus stop. A resident who simply gave her name as Alice, who witnessed the accident scene said that accident occurrence has become persistent in Maraba. “It’s really pathetic for those living in this place since FERMA started this work. You need to come to this road in the morning hours when people are going to work or in the evening when people are returning from the work in FCT. It is better imagined than to witness how chaotic this place has turned to.”
However, some school of thought tried to defend FERMA by insisting that the delay of the work is as a result of paucity of fund. It would be recalled that the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo has stated that the yearly federal budget allocation to the FERMA is insufficient for effective road maintenance across the country. Goronyo reiterated that managing FERMA under the existing federal budget remains challenging due to the nation’s massive infrastructural deficit.
Goronyo who made this known while inspecting the Lafia-Shendam Plateau State border road maintenance project executed by Monicat Global Services Ltd and awarded by FERMA, explained that the government is seeking alternative funding sources, including donations from international organizations and foreign governments .
“I have said time without number that there is no way you can manage FERMA under the budget. The infrastructural deficit is too high. We are managing over 36,000 km of roads, some of which were constructed over 40 years ago and have never received attention in the past,” he explained.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, has prioritized road infrastructure development as a means of boosting the economy, creating employment opportunities for youths, and reducing poverty.
“It is now that Mr. President, under his Renewed Hope Agenda, has given a lot of attention to road infrastructure. He believes that focusing on road infrastructure will open up our economy, improve employment opportunities for our youths, and, of course, reduce hunger and poverty to take us to the Promised Land,” he added.
“That is why, with the meagre resources FERMA is receiving from the federal government, we are trying to do more. We are looking at other sources of funding, such as donations from organizations and countries like Japan, which is donating equipment to FERMA,” he disclosed.
He further highlighted plans to optimize FERMA’s resources by leasing unused equipment to state and local governments to generate additional revenue. “We are trying to float a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) where our equipment that is lying fallow can be used by sub-national entities and local governments. They can hire and use them at the sub-national level to generate more funds to support FERMA’s activities,” he said.
Additionally, Goronyo suggested that FERMA could source funds through tolling major roads and setting up weighbridges. “We are also looking at the issue of weighbridges and sourcing funds through tolling our major roads. These are other revenue streams that we can explore to ensure FERMA efficiently manages our roads,” he stated.
On her part, when contacted to explain the reasons behind the delay of the work, Director of Press for FERMA Mrs Mariam Sanusi who promised to get back to us did not respond as at press time.
