From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
With the worsening condition of roads in Anambra State, state governor Charles Soludo has approached the federal government for a permission to fix federal roads in the state.
This, Soludo said, would help to ease the sufferings of the people of Anambra State in their daily movements for their businesses and also help the federal government deliver on time.
The governor, who said this when he visited the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engineer Nuruddeen Rafindadi, also said that the state would like to fund the project even if it would require refund to enable roads be maintained as at when due.
In his remarks, the Managing Director said that the governor’s proposal for a productive partnership was a great idea which the agency was pleased to accept. Rafindadi added that partnering with the Anambra State Road Maintenance Agency was a professional strategy by the governor.
He said that the agency would put its expertise to work with the state agency to fix roads across the state.
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‘’FERMA is the first and only government agency that has the widest scope and expertise on road maintenance in Nigeria. It has competent staff that can work wonders when challenged’’ he said, adding that Anambra State has 14 federal roads of about 682 kilometres and that half of the agency’s attention during ‘EMBER’ months is usually focussed on South Eastern states, especially Anambra State, because of its status of being the gateway to other parts of the country.
The MD said that the agency has justified its mandate of efficiently and effectively monitoring and administering roads maintenance with the objective of keeping all federal roads in good and safe conditions across the federation. He mentioned a number of roads in Anambra State that have been maintained and that the agency would continue in its giant stride, especially with the partnership of the Anambra State Roads Maintenance Agency.
In a statement, Director/Head (Communication /PR) of the agency, Maryam Sanusi, said that the Executive Director, West Operations and FERMA Board Member, Engineer Mujaidu Dako, reiterated the agency‘s readiness to partner with the government of Anambra State, saying that the governor was a reliable person who has the interest of the people of Anambra State at heart and in particular Nigeria.