The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on Tuesday inaugurated a special intervention, codenamed ”Operation Safeguard the Roads” to tackle road traffic crashes in Kogi.
Mr Muktar Abdulrahim, the Federal Road Maintenance Engineer in the state, inaugurated the programme at Ochadamu, along Itobe-Anyigba Road, Kogi.
Abdulrahim said that the programme was aimed at enhancing the efficiency of all federal roads for motorists and empowering youths along the road corridors.
“The programme is to discourage road vandalism and abuses, such as, dumping of refuse on drainages and road sides, unauthorised cutting of the road and
stealing of critical facilities, such as bridge handrails, road signs, among others.
“It is designed to improve road safety, reduce travel time and costs, and provide temporary employment opportunities for youths in the communities along major federal roads.
“This initiative will also stimulate a sense of ownership of the road by communities along the route and properly safeguard it, ” he stated.
Abdulrahim explained that the move would ensure proper control of the vegetation to enhance visibility, reduce road crashes and desilting of lined drain and culverts to prevent flooding and reduce the cost of maintaining the roads.
“Minor repairs, including patching of potholes, reinstatement of collapsed sections will be done to enable free flow of traffic.
“We shall also conduct training on road maintenance operations for residents of communities along major roads.”he said.
Abdulrahim, however, expressed gratitude to its Managing Director, Dr. Chukwu Emeka-Agbasi, for the laudable programme.
In a brief remarks, Mr Awodun Daniel, FERMA’s Zonal Director, North-Central 1, emphasised that the programme would make the roads safer, particularly as the Yuletide approaches.
TheMomentNg reports that the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), traditional rulers and members of the public attended the event.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the managing director of the agency had on Sept. 27, formally inaugurated the programme along the Zuba-Giri-Abaji-Lokojo- road.
