The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, at the weekend urged federal controllers of works and housing to wake up to their responsibilities of being drivers of the ministry’s mandate, adding that they should view their duties as a call to serve the interest of the masses.
The call was made at a meeting between Fashola, the minister of state, permanent secretary, directors of the ministry with federal controllers of works and those of housing, together with the management and state commanders of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Abuja, according to a statement signed by Olusegun Ogunkayode, senior information officer for works in the ministry.
Fashola stated that the purpose of the meeting was to share information as well as build cordial working relationship between the Federal Road Safety Commission and federal controllers of works and housing in the states on how to meet up with challenges confronting the road and housing sectors.
He also informed that maintenance of road and house rests at the door steps of the federal controllers in their respective states, hence they must strive towards building sustainable working relationship with all the stakeholders by adopting proactive strategies towards sensitizing their host communities in the area of right of way management because through the collective responsibility, the right of way could be recovered back.
The federal controllers, particularly from works sector and officials of FRSC, were implored to work harmoniously to ensure that all federal highways across the nation are safe and in good motorable conditions all year round.
He furthermore, urged the federal controllers to restore all kilometer signages, directional signs and to ensure that broken down vehicles are cleared from the highways.
Contributing, the corps marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission, Boboye Oyeyemi, disclosed that the maximum designed axle load for Nigerian roads is 10.5 tons/axle, or 16tons/ axle, that but the problem the commission is facing in this direction is that these set limits are indiscriminately violated trucks and tankers alike on the altar of maximizing profit.
Boboye also informed the meeting that some contractors make use of their countries’ road signs and signages without recourse to our language and highway codes.
He further identified indiscriminate parking on the highways as a major challenge being faced by the commission.
He therefore, solicited for the co-operation of the federal controllers in checkmating road abuse.
YANGE IKYAA, Abuja
