Umahi inaugurates FERMA Board, charges members to brace up to maintenance challenges

AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

Minister of Works, David Umahi has charged the newly inaugurated members of the Governing Board of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency ( FERMA) to brace up for the challenges of road infrastructure maintenance facing the country.

The minister also urged the members to show unwavering commitment to the road maintenance programmes of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Engr. Umahi who gave the charge during the inauguration of the FERMA Governing Board in Abuja yesterday thanked the President for appointing men of proven integrity and ability into the FERMA Board and for approving the 2023 Supplementary Budget which he said provides landmark interventions on the Federal roads.

He said road infrastructure was critical to the socio-economic development of the nation noting that the critical sectors that drive economic growth rely greatly on road infrastructure development.

“Let me first congratulate the nominees of Mr. President to the FERMA board and express my gratitude deeply to Mr. President who has found you worthy to do this job. “We have a very critical situation with our roads all over the country and for me, the number one thing Nigerians needed like yesterday is road. Road is everything. If we fix our roads today, we will bring down inflation in this country, because bad roads are affecting every aspect of our economic activities”.

He maintained that the enhanced budgetary provision for road infrastructure under the President shows his commitment to changing the narrative of the road infrastructure.

“This underscores the fact that Mr. President understands the plight of our people as far as our road infrastructure is concerned, he’s doing everything within the budget and outside the budget to fix our roads. And I want to assure Nigerians on behalf of Mr. President that our hopes are renewed in tackling our road infrastructure decays.”

Recalled that by section 3 of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, (FERMA) Amendment Act 2007, the President had on 13th October, 2023 approved the appointment of the board members, the appointment that has been confirmed by the Senate.

Members of the board include Engr. Dr. Chukwuemeka Chijioke Agbasi – Managing Director Engr. lbi Terna Manasseh – Member Dr. Kenneth Ugbala – Member, Sen. Timothy Aduda – Member, Babatunde Daramola – Member, Hon. Preye Oseke -Member, Aminu Adamu Papa – Member, Engr. Abubakar Bappa – Member, ACM Shehu Mohammed – Member and Yusuf Lawal Othman – Member

Earlier the Permanent Secretary of, the Federal Ministry of Works, Mahmuda Mamman Mamman described the newly appointed members of the FERMA board as people of proven competence and experience and expressed hope that they would perform in their new assignment.

In his acceptance speech on behalf of the newly constituted board, the Managing Director of FERMA, Engr. Chukwuemeka  Chijioke Agbasi thanked the President for finding them worthy to be appointed as board members of FERMA and pledged to discharge their responsibilities with the fear of God and align to the policy of the Federal Minister of Works and also to the mandate of FERMA.

He expressed the commitment of FERMA towards making a visible difference in the road conditions and the travel experience of commuters in the country.

For a better society

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