Minister decries state of federal roads

The Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, Alhaji Mustafa Baba Shehuri, has said that the state of federal roads in Niger State is worrisome and will warrant a declaration of emergency to urgently fix them.

The minister, who travelled through Zungeru-Tegina section enroute Kaduna State for an official assignment yesterday, said the deplorable condition was worrisome, adding that it took him and his entourage five hours instead of two to get to Minna.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, the minister promised that the ministry would mandate the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, (FERMA), to treat the road with the urgency it requires.

Niger is said to have the highest number of federal roads in the country, with 80 per cent of the 2,375 Km in deplorable condition.

Governor Bello represented by his deputy, Ahmed Muhammad Ketso, said the minister’s experience should be a wake-up call to the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on its roads.