The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), has emphasized the need for the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to work directly or indirectly with the citizens to get information on state of Nigeria’s roads.
The Director-General, BPSR, Mr Dasuki Arabi stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the BPSR Lunch Time Seminar Series with the topic, “Road Infrastructure: Plans and Priorities of FERMA vis-a-vis the President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda for Nigerians.
Newsspecng reports that BPSR since its establishment in 2004 has been at the forefront of driving integrated reform initiatives aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the country’s public service.
Its mandate underscores the Bureau’s commitment to initiating action on reforms, coordinating their implementation across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), disseminating crucial information, and conducting research to present best practice models.
This is, however, the reason for the introduction of the monthly lunchtime reforms seminar series for April edition 2024, focusing on what FERMA has done and doing regarding road maintenance in the country.
Arabi said it was necessary for Nigerians to support government policies and play them as of when due for the development of the country.
He further explained that the citizens were interested in what government was doing, adding that to get information about the state of the country’s roads, FERMA needed fo work closely with the people across the 36 states of the Federation.
“Today’s gathering is significant as we delve into a crucial aspect of our nation’s development.
“We decided to invite FERMA looking at the conditions of our roads in the country and to encourage them to do better than what they are doing.
“I want to call on all the government agencies to collaborate and work together so that we can render faster, cheaper, and more efficient services to the citizens.
“By extension, everybody has an important role to play. The Civil Society groups have important roles, and the media also assesses how we work and even guides, advising us on how we can manage some problems that we face.
“Advocacy has shown itself here that we need to embark on it more, by embarking on enlightenment publication of activities of government agencies for people to know what government is doing in every sector,” he said.
Arabi said that the role of FERMA as custodian of “our federal road Maintenance and rehabilitation, played a critical role in ensuring the proper upkeep, maintenance, and improvement of our roads.”
He expressed the Bureau’s commitment to work with FERMA to see possible areas of support it could render support to the agency.
“We will continue to work with you and see how we can support you and encourage the government to provide all you need to deliver.
“While you have offices in states, local government areas, you need to adopt the use of technology to get them closer to the headquarters and give citizens the space to work with you directly or indirectly.
“This will help provide information on the condition of some of our roads. That is what I did.
“I know you are coming, so I took pictures of some roads between Taraba, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Kebbi states. I will send pictures to you to see how we can help your work.
“From the pictures I took and comments we gathered here today, most of Nigerians’ roads need maintenance for easy movement of goods and services.
“Together, let us work towards a future where our roads are not just pathways to destinations, but pathways to prosperity, progress, and hope for all Nigerians,” Arabi said.
In his presentation, the Managing Director, FERMA, Dr Emeka Agbasi, said that to align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu-led administration, the agency had made some imperatives proposals.
This, according to him, includes the rehabilitation of strategically selected routes of the Federal Highway Network (FHN) in all six zones of the country is underway.
Others are optimal levels of repairs and maintenance along the entire FHN, and strengthening of FERMA to make it more effective, responsive to the maintenance needs of national highway infrastructure.
He further explained that the Agency was exploring other sources of funding and support to enable it carryout its daily operations, as well as using technology to make its operations easier and more efficient.
Agbasi, who commended President Tinubu’s support toward the Agency, said that FERMA would not relent in carrying out its mandate to ensure citizens access to good, safe, and friendly roads across the country, in spite some challenges facing the agency.
