Author: ferma

The Managing Director/CEO Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA, Engr. Nuruddeen Rafindadi, has pledged close working relationship with the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) for standard road signage for federal highways to reduce accidents and make the roads safer for users.

The MD made this pledge when he received a delegation from the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) led by Deputy Corps Commander, FRCS Signage Plant, DCC Martin A. Dapel, MNSE, Fcai+rss today 2nd December, 2020 at the Agency’s Headquarters in Abuja.

Rafindadi disclosed that, ‘’FRSC is a critical stakeholder of the Agency and working closely with FERMA to reduce accidents on the roads is imperative.  Road signs and road markings are essential part of safety on our roads and FERMA is ready to partner with FRSC to ensure users’ safety’’

The MD further added that he has observed that products made in Nigeria often times compete favourably with imported products, and even better. He instructed the Director of Planning and Engineering Services to immediately study FRSC’s proposals and schedule the Agency’s requirements with the aim of initiating interactive partnership with FRSC.

The FERMA Boss also said that the cost of the product may not necessarily be an issue, as what is very important was the quality and standard of the product. He said, ‘’ I have seen products from FRSC, they have good products, the prices of the product may not be compared with products from others, what is important is the quality and standard of FRSC products. You can imagine a product bought at a higher price lasting for 15 years and the one bought at a lower price lasting for 3 years, it is just wise that we go for the best product.

Earlier, DCC Dapel in his opening remarks thanked the MD for the audience. He said, FERMA and FRSC have been collaborating since inception. He commended the good working relationship between the two Organizations.

Dapel stated that the purpose of the visit was to inform FERMA that FRSC has a plant that produces signage. He said “FRSC products are of high quality and can compete with world best standard, the signage produced have a life span of at least 15 years”.

He explained that signage are about regulations, warnings, informing and giving direction for proper use of the roads. He said roads without signage are death traps”.

The DCC remarked that since FERMA has been playing a vital role in keeping the roads safe and motorable, it was important that collaboration be made with the Agency as regards the use of standard signage to further enhance the Agency’s efforts in carrying out its duties.

The Executive Governor of Niger State, His Excellency, Abubakar Sani Bello has appealed to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), to look into the deplorable condition of Federal Roads in Niger State with the aim of maintaining them to ease the movement of users, goods and services across the State.

His Excellency made this appeal today 26th November, 2020 when he visited FERMA Headquarters in Abuja on a courtesy call. He decried the deplorable state of some roads in the State, saying that the users of roads in the State experience tough times in the last rainy season leading to accidents and giving opportunity to bandits to operate without hindrance.

The Governor urged FERMA to as a matter of urgency intervene on Minna-Tegina, Tegina-Kontagora, Jebba-Mokwa, Mokwa- Tegina to make the roads motorable.

The Managing Director/CEO, FERMA, Engr. Nuruddeen Rafindadi, FNSE, in his remarks said he was honoured by the visit of the Governor, adding that the demand to intervene on maintaining and putting Federal roads in the State in good condition for easy movement was valid. He said, ‘’I believe that the roads in Niger State should be of priority because of the importance of the State to the country’’. 

Rafindadi said, ‘’we may not be able to solve all the road problems in the State, but we will identify critical sections and take immediate care of those sections to ease the users movement’’.

The MD revealed that arrangements has been concluded by the Agency to commence work on some roads in the State under the COVID-19 Intervention projects. He mentioned among others the urgent repairs of Kontagora-Tegina Road, special intervention along Bida-Zungeru Road, General Maintenance Repairs of Mokwa-Kainji Road, Special Repairs of Zungeru – Tegina Road, Special Repairs of Zungeru-Minna section of the Federal road along Zungeru- Minna-Lambatta Road and General Maintenance of Kontagora-Chifu-Rijau- Kebbi S/B in Niger State.

The MD said monitoring and maintenance of Federal roads is the business of FERMA, saying that the Agency will continue to make roads across the country motorable to all road user within the limit of funds that is available to the Agency. He said he appreciated and cherished the cooperation from the State, while hoping for more to help FERMA succeed in its work.

His Excellency, responding to questions from the media said he was very pleased with FERMA  because he discovered that all he requested for, has already be planned for and ready to be executed by FERMA shortly.

He said, ‘’The MD is doing well, I hope he will be able to get enough funds to work, I am complaining of 2300 kilometers, he has over 36,000 kilometers to worry about, I am glad that he has given Niger State the required attention.

NIPR NATIONAL PRESIDENT COMMEND FERMA FOR IMPROVED INFORMATION DISSEMINATIONThe National President and Chairman Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Governing Council, Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo fnipr has commended the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency for improved information dissemination as regards its activities.

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Consequent upon the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic early this year and the need to revamp economic activities which went to it lowest ebb, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), has opened its financial bids for the Emergency Maintenance and Repairs of some federal roads nationwide under FERMA’s 2020 COVID -19 intervention programme on Tuesday, 3rd November, 2020 at A-Class Park, Abuja.

The Director, Procurement, Engr. (Mrs.) B.A Ilemore representing the Managing Director, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA Engr. Nuruddeen .A. Rafindadi FNSE, said the Agency sought and obtained from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) a due process ‘No objection’ to adopt restricted tendering method for the procurement of the Emergency Maintenance and Repairs of some federal roads captured under the Agency’s 2020 Appropriation Act (Amendment) tagged COVID -19 intervention programmes.

Ilemore while declaring the bids open assured the prospective bidders that the submitted bids would be accorded the due consideration based on merit and in accordance with the provisions of Public Procurement Act (2007). She said “Transparency, competitiveness and fairness would be our watchword in the financial evaluation and award procedures”.

Representatives from Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Cornerstone Liberty & Love Foundation (CLF) and Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Abuja branch were also present to observe the bid opening exercise.

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) have entered into partnership with the aim of resolving the problems of housing and road maintenance which has consistently given Nigerians, and especially the civil servants cause for concern.

This collaboration was cemented today when the Managing Director of Federal Housing Authority, Senator Gbenga B. Ashafa and his Executive Director (Business Development), Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin paid a courtesy visit to the MD, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency at its Abuja Headquarters.

The Managing Director, FERMA, Engr. Nuruddeen A. Rafindadi, FNSE, FAEng, said the partnership of FERMA and FHA is a force to reckon with because of the personalities involved, and the spread of both organizations which cut across all the States of the Federation. He said the partnership will form a backbone upon which housing and roads maintenance will be further developed.   

Rafindadi said one of his major concern since he took over the headship of FERMA has been the condition of service of the staff, he said, ‘’Since I came to FERMA, one of the main problem that has given me concern is the condition of service of staff, the pay is low, the housing allowance is low, and there is no access to affordable housing as much as one expects’’

The MD further stated that with this partnership, FERMA can help FHA to solve the problem of access roads to their Estates, while FHA addresses the housing problems of the staff of the Agency. He immediately constituted a technical committee to work out modalities to achieving success with the partnership.  He added that the partnership will be effective as both FERMA and FHA are both Parastatals under the  Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, where the Minister is keen on delivering on the President’s resolve to solving the Nigeria housing deficit.

Speaking earlier, the MD, FHA, Senator Gbenga B. Ashafa, said he is happy collaborating with FERMA as the partnership will serve as a model to other Agencies. He said, FERMA can compete with any construction company that deliver infrastructure in terms of roads. He also said that with the array of professionals in FERMA the problem of access roads to FHA Estates will be solved.

Senator Ashafa pledged total commitment to the partnership with FERMA.

Commenting, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, added that FHA believes in the partnership, saying FHA has professionals that will be able to work harmoniously with those of FERMA to achieve the set goals of this partnership.

Engr. Silas Abdullahi Buba, the Executive Director East Operations and Board member representing North Central Zone, in his own comment appreciated the FHA MD and his team for identifying FERMA as a worthy partner.

The Managing Director, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Nuruddeen A. Rafindadi, FNSE has said that FERMA will ensure total compliance to SERVICOM principles and directives in the implementation of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) 2nd National Action Plan (NAPII), promising that the Agency shall always provide adequate information to all customers, both internal and external on the processes for seeking redress in case they are not satisfied or have concerns on services received.

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The Chairman Senate Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Senator Gershom Bassey, has said that the implementation of 2019 budget releases was very impressive. He said this on Tuesday 10th March, 2020 during an oversight visit to FERMA by the Senate Committee on FERMA to ascertain the level of implementation of the budget releases for 2019.

Responding to questions from the press, the chairman said the purpose of their visit was to ascertain and ensure that the funds that were appropriated and released to FERMA in 2019 were appropriately utilized.

Senator Gershom said from their discovery, FERMA has completed most of it projects that were budgeted for in 2019 up to 98%, this he said was very impressive. He said, ‘’FERMA has done well in terms of completion of projects, they have utilized about 90% of the release for 2019, completed 98% of the projects. This is very good for any organization, this is a high rate performance’’.

The Chairman however said the Committee was not satisfied with the funding of FERMA, saying that the Agency should get much more than it gets presently. He said, ‘’the budget should be much larger, this is an Agency that affects every single life in Nigeria. Road is the artery in which we live and breathe in Nigeria, we transport basically everything by road, we don’t have any other infrastructure as it is, the upkeep of these roads is key to us, if we give FERMA more funds, even one trillion naira, it is not too much to maintain our roads’’.

He further decried the non-implementation of laws that were enacted in 2007, for example the non-implementation of the 5% user charge to fund road projects and the vehicle tax. He said the National Assembly is investigating this non-implementation and that report will soon be out.

On his part, the Managing Director, FERMA, Engr. Nuruddeen A. Rafindadi, FNSE, while appreciating the Senate Committee on the support so far from them said that FERMA can improve on the backlog of maintenance of Federal roads across the country if there is an increase in the releases of monies appropriated to the Agency.

He said, ideally the Agency would require N125 billion every year to maintain federal roads across the nation. ‘’If you consider the asset value of our roads and bridges across the country, that is a modest sum to preserve the value of our national asset’’.

Rafindadi also said that the Agency had a target of intervening in about 3,500km federal roads in 2019, this was later increased to 5,000km, and that the Agency was able to meet the target which was presented and stated by the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing at the FEC meeting on the Ministerial report.

The Managing Director concluded by assuring Nigerians that the Agency under his watch will do all it can to put smiles on the faces of the people by making sure roads are put in motorable and safe state this year as it has always done.

The Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, has applauded Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for the wonderful maintenance works it has done and still doing in Nasarawa State.

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African Development Bank (AfDB), through its transport sector identification mission, seeks to assist the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) with loan facility to address the funding gap in the road repair efforts of the Agency. This was disclosed yesterday when a delegation led by Dr. Abayomi Babalola a transport Specialists/Consultant to the Bank visited the Agency in Abuja.

According to Dr. Babalola, the Bank has set aside a total amount of Ten Billion US Dollars ($10,000,000,000.00 ) for the Nigerian Infrastructure Development. The loan will be disbursed to different sectors of the economy for a period of 10 years. He however observed that the transport sector had not received much desired intervention from the bank. He informed the management of FERMA that his team was at the Agency on a transport sector identification mission, which consists of identifying road projects in Nigeria that can be funded through a well monitored project circle. According to him, the projects would be of national priority and devoid of political encumbrances. He requested the Agency to forward needs and projects that meet these criteria, which will eventually be funded by the Bank.

In his response, the Managing Director FERMA, Engr. Nuruddeen A. Rafindadi (FNSE), thanked AfDB for the good gesture, he however bemoaned the poor state of Roads as a result of poor funding. According to him Budgetary Allocation has been grossly inadequate to fund road repair works; Government is looking at other options of funding Road Projects. Engr. Nuruddeen Rafindadi said, when the Ministry of Finance approves the loan arrangement, AfDB should be assured of good execution of the job. Some of the Roads that would benefit from this may not be viable for Privatization, because of low traffic density, but they are important due to their connection to rural areas with heavy Agricultural activities.

The Managing Director of FERMA, assured his guests of a robust Partnership between FERMA and AfDB in the quest of making Nigerian Roads motorable all year round. Other interventions by the bank on road sector include construction of Nigeria-Cameroon Highway and Ebonyi State ring road Projects.