ABUJA—Senate yesterday mandated the
Federal Ministry of Works and Federal
Emergency Roads Maintenance Agency,
FERMA, to urgently carry out a holistic
reconstruction of all portions of the
country’s roads that had become death
trap to the motoring public.
The Senate also urged the federal
government and other relevant agencies to
establish ambulances on major highways,
saying that would go a long way to
saving lives of people involved in ghastly
motor accidents.
Also yesterday, the upper chambers had a
minute silence for the six medical doctors
and the driver from Ekiti State who died in
a ghastly motor accident on Sunday, April
24, 2016, on their way to the 54th Annual
Conference of Nigerian Medical
Association, NMA, in Sokoto State.
File: One of the bad roads in Bayelsa
The Senate also condoled with the
families of the departed, the government
and the people of Ekiti State, NMA and
prayed for the quick recovery of the
survivors, just as it asked the Federal
Road Safety Corps, FRSC, to step up
public enlightenment campaign on the use
of highway codes and safe motoring.
These resolutions were sequel to a
motion by Senator Duro Faseyi (PDP) Ekiti
North.
According to Faseyi, road accidents in
Nigeria have become too many that it
required drastic action.
He added that the Senate was disturbed
that road accident remained the leading
cause of death in Nigeria year in, year out.
In the presentation of the motion, Senator
Faseyi expressed grief over the six
medical doctors and their driver in the
fatal accident.
In his contribution, Senator Theodore Orji
was, however, emphatic that something
beyond imagination must have led to the
series of accidents on Kaduna - Abuja
Highway, since late Minister of State,
James Ocholi, also died at the same spot
with his wife and son.
Similarly, Senator Shehu Sani (APC),
Kaduna Central, noted that he was the
first to have visited the scene of the
accident on Kaduna Road, explaining that
there were no supernatural forces
responsible for accidents on Kaduna
Road.
According to him, what is required is for
Nigerians to do the right thing by
ensuring that there was adequate funding
of Federal Road Safety Corps as well as
establishment of hospitals on highways.
He said: “I was the first to visit the injured
six medical doctors from Ekiti State and
the scene of the accident. I want to
assure Senator Orji that there are no
spirits on that road, but the spirit is in
Nigerians to do the right things.”
Also contributing, Senator Mao
Ohuabunwa, PDP, Abia North, called for a
review of the Act establishing Federal
Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA,
restricting them to basic maintenance of
roads rather than engage in huge
contract awards which was the
responsibility of Federal Ministry of
Works.
In his remarks, Deputy Senate President,
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who noted that
road crashes had brought out the
ineptitude of responsive mechanism of
relevant agencies, however, prayed that
things would change.
He said: “It is obvious now that road
accidents on Nigeria roads have brought
out ineffective response mechanism and I
think this should be looked into, with a
view to strengthening relevant agencies.”
