…NNPC, FEC show proactiveness, foresight — Korodo
By Uthman Salami, Gloria Akodoro & Alao Matthew O.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the request by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to construct 21 major Federal roads across the six Geopolitical Zones
Yesterday, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave the nod for the reconstruction of 21 roads which cover a total distance of 1,804.6 kilometres across across Nigerian
Earlier, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers had lamented and proposed a nationwide strike over what the association described as terrible and sorry state of Nigerian roads which had lead to death of their members.
Owing to the timely intervention of the NNPC, the National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG) announced the suspension of the proposed strike by its affiliate members, Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD).
The strike, which would have commenced on Monday, October 11, 2021, was called off due to the intervention of the Federal Government.
The South-West Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, Mr Tayo Aboyeji had said “The leadership of the union after a brief meeting with representatives of government decided to suspend the strike in the interest of the nation.
“The meeting with the government continues during the week with the assurance that the union grievances will be positively addressed.’’
In making good their promises, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola said the construction of the earmarked roads would be undertaken by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) through the deployment of its own tax liabilities.
Fashola said that the NNPC tax deployment would not be a temporary programme but periodic and gave the projected commitment to the road projects as N621.2billion.
He made this known while briefing State House correspondent at the end of the FEC meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Minister added that in July, FEC approved the award of a contract to Dangote Industries for the construction of five roads totalling 274.9 kilometres at the cost of N309.9 billion, advanced by the company as tax credit.
According to him, “Earlier this year, there were five other roads – the Kaduna Western bypass, the Lekki Port road, the road from Shagamu through Papalanto, and a couple of others, and there is one road in Maiduguri. That was about N320 billion.”
He stressed that, “We have another player. We have all the interested players who are still showing interest, but we haven’t concluded. We have another player who has shown interest and commitment to deploy taxes. It’s the government corporation known as NNPC.
“So, NNPC has identified 21 roads that it wants to deploy. Now, the instructive thing about this is that this initiative helps the government to achieve many things, including ministerial mandates three and four, which we discussed at the last retreat. Ministerial mandates three and four, if you recall, was energy sufficiency, electric power and petroleum energy distribution across the country.
“Of course, petroleum energy distribution is being impacted positively and negatively, as the case may be the transport infrastructure which is the ministerial mandate four. NNPC has sought and the council has approved today that NNPC deploys tax resources to 21 roads, covering a total distance of 1,804.6 kilometres across the six geopolitical zones.
“Out of those 21 roads, nine are in North Central, particularly Niger state. The reason is that Niger State is a major storage centre for NNPC. NNPC is doing this to facilitate the total distribution across the country.”
The Minister also gave an assurance that in the South-West, the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Agabara junction, Ibadan to Ilorin (Oyo-Ogbomoso section) would be fixed.
Three other roads are located in the North-East, two in the North-West, and two others in the South-East.
The Minister said Odukpani-Itu-Ikot-Ekpene road has now been fully covered to resolve the problem of financing regarding the execution of the road projects.
While reacting to the state of roads in South-East, he said, “You have Aba-Ikot Ekpene in Abia and Akwa Ibom States. So that’s a major link, then you have Umuahia to Ikwuamo, to Ikot Ekpene road and so on and so forth.
“In the North-West, it is Gada Zaima-Zuru-Gamji road, and also Zaria-Funtau-Gusau-Sokoto road. In the North-East, it is Cham, Bali Serti and Gombe-Biu road.”
Meanwhile, the Immediate past Zonal Chairman of NUPENG in Lagos Zone, Comrade Tokunbo Korodo commended the Federal Government and NNPC for their foresight and intervention
He said that, “Due to intervention of NNPC, we put our strike on hold. We did not commence the proposed nationwide strike because NNPC was so proactive enough. It immediately intervened before the commencement of the strike.”
While commending the approval of the request of NNPC, he said, “It is a welcome development. This because the way we are losing some of our members because of the bad state of roads and damages to the truck is at the alarming rate.
“It got to a point that we cannot longer bear and that is the reason why we took that resolution.
“In as much as Federal Government has agreed to make some repairs to some strategic route Tankers Drivers ply to supply every nook and cranny of this country, it is a welcome development.”
Also, the President of Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN), Mazi Sam Onyechi, said whatever Government wants to do to make Nigeria road motorable is welcomed, but terms and conditions involved in the refurbishment of roads should not put Nigerians into further distress.
“Anything is welcomed to make Nigeria road motorable but the terms and conditions involved should be something favourable that puts into consideration present predicament of the citizens,” he noted.
Onyechi who stressed that the reconstruction of 21 federal roads not only benefit the oil sector but will be beneficial to all Nigerians, noted that the economy will experience speedy growth if the roads in the country are functional.
He said, “If the roads are functional, our economy will improve, food transportation will increase while food shortage will decrease, vehicle repair cost will drop, aid smooth movement of motorist which prevents them from falling victim to banditry, kidnapping among others.”
Since the Refreshment Tax Credit Scheme encourages Public Private Partnership Intervention in the construction of roads in the country, the OGTAN President however, expressed curiosity about how the NNPC is going to recoup the fund, whether by toll-gate or by refund from the Ministry of Works rather than taking from the pockets of suffering Nigerians.