The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) in Kebbi has completed two road projects out of three appropriated to the state in 2020, the agency’s Maintenance Engineer, Mr Rilwanu Usman, has said.
Usman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview, in Birnin Kebbi, on Tuesday, that the projects were completed in view of their economic and agricultural importance to the people of the state.
“The works completed are: Malando- Ngaski – Warra Road, which is special repairs, involving patching of potholes, scraping of some sections, about 1.7 km in length and asphalting, among others. The contract has achieved 100 per cent completion stage.
“The other is Lailaba to Yeldu Road, a critical and shortest link between Argungu, Lailaba and Yeldu, a very important town in the state. The road serves a lot of commercial purposes, but due to paucity of funds in 2019, our scope was limited to the construction of culverts at very critical locations.
“In 2019, we constructed eight culverts and cleared road from zero to 14 km. This year, we have increased the work to 15 km with four additional culverts in addition to 2.5 km surface dressing. The road has accomplished its threshold, and what was provided has been exhausted,” he said.
Usman recalled that in 2019, the agency constructed additional 1.8km access road at the Adamu Augie College of Education (COE), Argungu, and also reinforced a 2km line drain, although the contractor handling the COE contract was yet to report for the uncompleted portions of the project.
On direct labour, he said that a wash- out bridge on Argungu – Bui Road, was also repaired sequel to an approval granted by the Agency’s Managing Director, Nuradeen Rafin-Dadi.
“The bridge has been repaired and the protective works of embankment is ongoing. We have approval to increase one kilometer surface dressing as soon as the contractors resume work in Jan. 2021,” he said.
Usman, however, said that the Tuga – Ka’oje project would only commence when the agency accessed the funds approved by Rafin-Dadi, adding that the Birnin Kebbi – Argungu – Sokoto Road, which manifests potholes, would also be repaired from the funds. (NAN).
