…plans 3 coal-fired power stations
By FAVOUR NNABUGWU
ABUJA—The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved contract awards for seven new road projects across the six geo-political zones, just as the government is to generate income from traffic offenders among others as alternative funding to keep federal roads in shape.

Mr. Mike Onolememen, Minister of Works, said this while reeling out the ministry’s achievements in the last 100 days at a forum organised by the Ministry of Information in commemoration of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in Abuja, Tuesday.

The seven new road projects approved by the council are: the construction of Jalingo-Kuna-Lau road in Taraba; rehabilitation of Ijebu-Igbo-Olomi road in Ogun State and the rehabilitation of Ondo-Ore road in Ondo State.

Others include: Odo-Oba-Takie-Gambari-Otte on Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin road; rehabilitation of Onitsha-Owerri expressway down to Okija in Anambra and Imo states; and the reconstruction/ rehabilitation of Gbongan-Iwo road and the construction of 15 kilometre interstate road from Aiyegunle in Ondo State to Akoko in Edo State.

The minister said the government would establish a road fund and a National Road Board to guarantee steady income for road projects in the country, adding that revenues from petroleum levy and road traffic offenders’ fines among others would also be devoted to the funding of road projects.

According to him, “a major aspect of the reform will be the establishment of a Road Fund and A National Road Board to guarantee steady income for road rehabilitation and maintenance in this country while revenues from petroleum levy, adverts on roads, traffic offenders’ levies, registration of vehicles fees, weigh-bridge fees, contribution from stakeholders etc would go into road fund”

“The National Road Board will determine how the entire road networks in the country will be maintained with the funds. The agency will be private sector driven.”

The minister explained that the National Road Board would comprise the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Operators; Federal Road Safety Corps; Police; Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW; organised private sector and the Federal Ministry of Works among others.

On the 15 highway departments, the Minister informed that, “In pursuance of the transformation agenda of Mr President in the ministry and in furtherance to on-going reform, fifteen new highways and engineering departments have been created in order to enhance project delivery, implementation, management and execution”

The new departments are Highways, Planning & development; Highways, Planning & design (roads); Highways, Planning & design (bridges); Public Private Partnership Division; Road Sector development Team; electrical & street lightening services; central workshop and equipment; engineering management services and Highways Construction & Rehabilitation for South-West; South-East; South-South; North-West; North East and North-Central

Each of zones, the Minister said, could take decision spanning 35 kilometers in order to achievement zero level delay and inefficiency on the federal roads.