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FG tasks
stakeholders on road construction, maintenance
By
Thomas Adejo____________________________________________
President Umar
Yar’Adua has challenged stakeholders in the transport sector to find
alternative sources of funding the construction, rehabilitation and
maintenance of the nation’s road network.
Yar’Adua gave the challenge in Abuja while declaring open a two-day
workshop on “Road Sector Reform in Nigeria: The way forward”.
He said the challenge had become necessary because of the prevailing
economic realities in the country.
He said government could no longer perform the function of
regulator, and yet, remain responsible for the maintenance of
existing road infrastructure, while developing new ones.
Yar’Adua who was represented by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan,
stressed the need for urgent comprehensive reform in the management
of roads in the country.
He said such reform must create an enabling environment for Public
Private Partnership (PPP) and involve road users in the development
and management of the roads.
He expressed delight at the significant improvement in the
operational performance of the nation’s seaports, due to private
sector participation.
He challenged government Ministries and Agencies to step up action
on achieving greater private sector involvement in public services.
“The Federal Ministry of Transport which is today the country’s
largest infrastructure ministry, must lead the way in the
development and actualisation of the PPP strategy,” he said.
He stated that the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission
Act of 2005, had provided the legal framework for private sector
finance, construction, development and maintenance of
infrastructure.
The President further stressed the need to evolve inter-modal
transport strategies, for any reform in our road sector to be
worthwhile.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Transport towards the
rehabilitation and maintenance of existing rail lines, to provide
safe, reliable and efficient means of transportation of goods and
passengers at improved speed.
He said funds would soon be released by the government for the
completion and inauguration of the remaining 19 kilometre stretch of
the Ajaokuta-Itakpe-Warri standard gauge line.
Yar’Adua said the existing railway lines linking the nation’s
seaports and inland container depots, would also be reactivated, to
reduce congestion at the ports.
“To further reduce pressure on the roads, funds have been made
available in the 2008 budget for the commencement of the dredging of
the lower River Niger from Warri in Delta State, to Baro in Niger
State, a stretch of 573 kilometres,” he said.
The President therefore, enjoined the participants in the workshop
to proffer solutions to the problems bedeviling the transport
sector. |
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