FERMA GOVERNING BOARD VISITS WORKS AND HOUSING MINISTER- URGES THE MINISTRY FOR SUPPORT TO ENSURE ADEQUATE APPROPRIATIONS AND RELEASES IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET CYCLES
The Chairman, FERMA Governing Board, Mr. Tunde Lemo has called on the continuing support of the Minister of Works and Housing Mr. Babatunde Fashola for adequate appropriations and releases in the annual budget circles, as well as any other special interventions to enable the Agency perform at its best.
The Chairman said this when he led the Governing Board of FERMA on a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing (FMW&H) Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) in his office today the 9th of September, 2019.
Tunde Lemo congratulating the Minister on his re-appointment said, the re-appointment was a fitting recognition of his sterling record in the leadership of the then Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing in the past four years.
Continuing, the Chairman said the role of FERMA directly fits into the functions of the FMW&H saying that FERMA was created as an Agency to ensure the efficient and effective maintenance of all existing Federal Trunk Roads, while FMW&H governs the policy framework and development of the nation’s road sector. He added that FERMA cannot effectively attain its objective without a continuing partnership and collaboration with, and the strong support of the FMW&H. He further argued that effective planning for maintenance of roads should actually start from FMW&H‘s planning and design stages, a fact, which he said underlines the inclusion of the Ministry’s Director of Highways Planning as a member of the FERMA Board.
Mr. Tunde Lemo further explained that maintenance work plans prepared and executed by FERMA are based among other factors on the FMW&H’S road sector national prioritization, as well as on specific exigent situations dictated by the Ministry. The Ministry should factor in, the maintenance Agency’s roles in all road’s investment, including for example the SUKUK BOND funded interventions’’
The Honourable Minister, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), in his response said FERMA was an important component of what FMW&H has and need to do, and for that purpose the partnership and support for FERMA cannot be over-emphasized. Commending FERMA for work it has been doing across the nation, Fashola said, he has enjoyed working with FERMA as the synergy formed with FERMA has been working.
The Minister said that there is need for more cooperation with the Highway Controllers, even though the core mandate of FERMA is road maintenance, adding that highway maintenance is very critical to increase in productivity and creation of jobs which is the goal of the present administration.
Fashola consequently pledges that the Ministry will continue to partner and support the Agency to enable it achieve it mandate.
