By Vincent Ujumadu
The Senate has urged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to undertake emergency repairs on failed sections of the Onitsha–Ogbaru–Ndoni–Rivers Federal Highway pending its comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The Senate said the immediate intervention would reduce the hardship faced by motorists and communities along the route.
Following a motion sponsored by Senator Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North, the Senate also proposed that the Federal Government mandate the South East Development Commission (SEDC) or the Federal Ministry of Works to carry out the remedial work.
The Senate recommended that the comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction be executed through a special intervention programme or another appropriate funding arrangement, given the road’s strategic importance as a major link between the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones.
It mandated the Senate Committee on Works to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the highway, engage relevant stakeholders and report back within four weeks with appropriate recommendations.
It also urged the Senate committees on Works and Appropriations to ensure adequate budgetary provision for the road’s comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The Senate noted that the highway was partially constructed in the late 1980s but had suffered decades of neglect without any major rehabilitation.
It said the prolonged abandonment, ageing infrastructure, increasing traffic volume and lack of routine maintenance had left the road in a deplorable condition, characterised by extensive pavement failures, deep potholes and severe erosion.
According to the Senate, the condition of the highway posed a serious threat to the lives and property of commuters and other road users.
It further observed that the deterioration had significantly increased travel time, with a journey of approximately 70 kilometres from Onitsha through Ogbaru to Ndoni, which would ordinarily take about one hour, now taking nearly two hours.
The Senate said the situation had resulted in higher transportation costs, loss of productive man-hours and disruption of commercial activities.
It added that the failed sections frequently caused vehicles to break down and remain stranded for extended periods, exposing commuters to road accidents and heightened security risks.
The Senate also noted that the highway served as a vital economic corridor, supporting significant oil and gas exploration and production activities in the Ogbaru oil belt and contributing to Nigeria’s economy.
It expressed concern that continued neglect of the federal highway had affected interstate commerce, agricultural value chains, regional integration and investment, undermining efforts to promote economic development, national connectivity and safe transportation.
The Senate warned that without urgent intervention, further deterioration would endanger lives and property, impede economic activities, increase transportation costs and affect oil exploration and production along the Ogbaru corridor.
It added that the situation would worsen the hardship faced by residents of Anambra and Rivers states and negatively affect businesses that depend on the transport corridor.
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