Better Travel Experience During Ember Season: We Are Prepared For You, Fashola Tells Road Users * As Minister hosts Public Transport Owners of Nigeria Association (PTONA) * Says contractors have remobilized to sites to repair and restore  portions of the roads affected by adverse weather * “Your industry can lift a lot of people out of poverty to prosperity and we have a role to play to help you do that”, he tells PTONA * PTONA President commends Minister’s dedication, advocates adoption of segregated use of highways by vehicles As the Christmas and New Year festivities approach, the Minister of Works and Housing Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has assured Nigerians that they will experience shorter and more pleasurable travel time during the season saying Contractors have remobilized to sites across the country to repair and restore portions of the roads affected by adverse weather. Fashola, who spoke at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Mabushi, Abuja, while hosting the National Executive Members and Trustees of the Public Transport Owners of Nigeria Association (PTONA), said they had been meeting the Contractors since September to plan against the coming season adding that the failed areas had been identified and contractors had been duly deployed to the areas to carry out special repairs and palliative works to facilitate better travel time for road users. The Minister, who recalled that there was also a meeting between the Ministry of Works and Housing and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, NARTO, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, the NNPC, DPR and other Stakeholders in the transport value chain, added that the meeting was to assure those in the petroleum distribution value chain that all would be done to achieve a smooth and seamless operation during the season. “We have seen a report of a meeting last week between our Ministry and the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President, NARTO, Petroleum Tanker Drivers, the NNPC, DPR and all of those that operate in the value chain that affects your industry, fuel supply, lubricants, just to ensure that all of these are in supply, not just here but at peak demand when you will have to run for the December season, Christmas and New Year”, he said. Noting that the Ministry was clearly on top of its game, the Minister declared, “So we are prepared for you; we know you are there. That is why we are meeting with all these people”. According to him, the same preparation informed the acceptance to host the Association. “We know that you will be under pressure and that puts us under pressure as well. We also know that the roads will be under pressure. It is a busy period for you and also an opportunity for those who want to make extra money. We are prepared for you”, he said. Explaining that only specific portions of Nigerian roads are challenged, the Minister, who urged road users to help report accurately where the roads had failed, said the Ministry gets weekly reports from the Controllers in all the states of the federation adding that such reports were expected to be accurate. Fashola said with the heralding of dry weather, Contractors on various road projects across the country were back to work either to finish work already started or repair and restore portions of the roads which suffered damage during the adverse weather adding that on some of the roads, Contractors were now laying asphalt. Citing the Lagos-Badagry road project as example, the Minister said the Contractor was now laying the asphalt on the road from Seme Border up to Okokomaiko adding that on the Port Harcourt-Enugu section, some parts of Port Harcourt-Aba Road had been completed and the Contractor was laying asphalt on it. “Also part of Onitsha-Enugu, from the Niger Bridge through Onitsha to Amansea to Awka has been completed though work is going on in between”, he said adding that he had just received a report from RCC about what they were currently doing between Amansea and Umunya. “There is a part where the State Government is trying to intervene. The contractor wants to finish his work”, he said. Encouraging road users to give accurate reports of failed sections of the road at all times, Fashola pointed out that if reports from Controllers should differ from those of the road users there was always a means to interrogate such controversy in order to confirm the accuracy of the reports adding that such accurate reports would enable the Ministry deploy the workforce in the appropriate Sections where repairs and restoration were needed. The Minister told his Guests, “We get weekly reports from our Controllers in the field and they are supposed to give us accurate report. That is why side reporting is so important because if you tell us that a portion of the road is bad and they tell us a different thing there is a means to interrogate the issue in order to establish the truth”. “It is important that you identify where the pain is so that we know what to do”, Fashola further advised his Guests adding a report last week showed that Messrs CGC was currently working from Okene to Auchi while Messrs Mothercat, Dantata, Sawoe  and RCC were working in sections of the road from Auchi. Emphasizing on the need for accurate reporting of failed sections, the Minister declared, “When you tell me that the road between Auchi and Okene is bad, I will confirm it. So let us have more precise reporting from you. We don’t expect you to keep quiet but we expect that the reporting would be accurate”. “There is a difference between the fact that a portion of a road is bad and that the entire road is bad. It is therefore important that you identify the road; if you can’t remember it photograph it or identify it with the next village nearest to it so that we can send our people to where the problem is”, he said adding, “Also it is for our collective good; if it works for me it works for you. That is why we have to work together because we are all stakeholders”. Fashola, who recalled President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that it was possible to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years, said the entire transportation network of road, rail, air and seaports was important, not only to the President in realizing the vision but also the government and the country as a whole . The Minister said the Ministry was convinced that the prosperity that the President was seeking to deliver, his desire and vision to lift a hundred million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years, was a very laudable, visionary journey to set Nigeria on the path of economic prosperity. “We believe all of us have a role to play here”, the Minister told his Guests adding, “Your industry can lift a lot of people out of poverty to prosperity and we have a role to play to help you do that”. Responding to the recommendation by the Association that government should introduce tolling on the nation’s major highways as a means of generating funds to maintain the roads, Fashola said tolling would be introduced but that would be after the roads were finished. He solicited the cooperation of transport stakeholders like PTONA to enforce regulations on the roads pointing out that President Buhari had signed an Order that made it compulsory for the axial and excess loads to be checked from loading points such as fuel deports and other regulated loading bays across the country. Earlier in his remarks, the President of the Association, Engr. Isaac Uhunmwagho, told the Minister that their visit was to declare their readiness, as fellow stakeholders in the transport industry, to collaborate with the Ministry in the areas of enforcing laws and regulations that would protect the roads from premature damage due to excess loads. The President noted with delight that the Ministry under the watch of Fashola, was doing marvelous work of building a functional road network across the country but regretted that most Nigerians have failed to show appreciation, choosing instead to harp on and pass adverse comments about the entire roads not being in order. “We felicitate with the Honourable Minister and identify with the zeal with which Road Construction and rehabilitation are being carried out. We in PTONA thoroughly appreciate you for what we know about you in the past 12 years especially. We know you are an Achiever and an exceptionally hardworking Government top officer and acclaimed by most Nigerians as a very dedicated technocrat and bureaucrat”, the Association President said. He blamed axial loads and heavy duty trucks for the serial damage on the nation’s roads and recommended that the only way to check such excesses was to introduce weighbridges on the roads to stop such vehicles carrying excess loads and applying sanctions against offenders. Lending the support of PTONA to the Minister’s request for additional funding of N255.6 billion for roads, the President also declared the support of the Association to the reintroduction of Toll Plazas on the Highways across the country suggesting the use of the vehicle sensor embedded type of toll-gates that would not require manual payments at the gates to avoid delays. He also recommended that heavy duty trailers and tankers be apportioned to move in the nights while commuters move in the daytime adding that both categories of road users would get to their destinations faster if adopted. “There will be three advantages if this scheduling is adopted; our brothers and sisters will be able to travel safer and faster. Journey times will approach reasonable levels. Our goods in trailers and tankers will be able to move faster on freer highways instead of being stuck in traffic for very long hours”, he said. Adding that the nation’s roads and bridges would also enjoy much longer lifespan if the recommendation was adopted, the President of PTONA said it was time for the country to begin work towards a self-sustaining system that would be devoid of Government funding of the roads on the long run. Also present at the event were the Director Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation, Engr. Yemi Oguntominiyi, Director Highways, Design Engr. Charles Okonma, other Directors, Special Advisers and top officials of the Ministry while the visitors comprised of Executives of PTONA including Managing Directors of ABC Transport, Peace Transport and Favour Transport, among others. ...

Fashola Urges Nigerians To Be Patient The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN has called on Nigerians to be patient and show understanding on the condition of the roads as a lot is being done to ease the pain Nigerians go through while plying them. The Minister made this call when he granted audience to the executive and trustee members of the Public Transport Owners of Nigeria Association [PTONA], in his office. Fashola said, “The entire transportation network of road, sea and air is important to the governmentand the President. We have been having meetings with various stakeholders in the transport sector to make life easier for the people.” He further said, “We met with our contractors and work is ongoing in many roads.There is a distance between approval and construction of roads, by the time all these work is completed all we are saying will be a thing of the past, please be patient.” The Minister expressed his readiness to work closely with all stakeholders. He said “We are stakeholders, we need to work together, if it works for you, itworks for us”. Earlier, the leader of the delegation Engr. Isaac Uhunmwaghu disclosed that all major transport owners belong to the association which he said was formed to work closely with government to make life easier for road users. Engr. Uhunmwaghu praised the Minister saying, “We in PTONA thoroughly appreciate you for what we know about you in the past 12 years. We are however sad that despite all your efforts and best intentions, the perception by Nigerians about travelling on the road is extremely negative presently.” He attributed this negative perception to insecurity and bad roads. He expressed the support of his association for the recent demand by the Hon. Minister for additional funding of N255.6 bn for roads. The group also expressed their support for the re-introduction of tolls on all highways in the country. The association suggested that vehicle sensor embedded to it should be used. Uhunmwaghu said toll gates will not only generate virtually all the funds for roads constructionand maintenance but have punitive charges for excessive load carrying vehicles responsible mostly for the quick destruction of our roads. He urged the Minister to give special attention to the following roads: Lagos- Abuja, Lagos –Port-Harcourt, Port-Harcourt to Abuja and Abuja to Kano road. He also urged the Ministryto give priority to major arterial roads. ...

FG Undertaking 524 Highway, Bridge Projects Nationwide – Fashola * Every State including FCT has at least 3 ongoing Highway, Bridge projects being executed by FG * 80 Projects prioritized, to enhance ease of doing business * Projects include 27 Sovereign SUKUK Funded, 47 scheduled for substantial completion in 2020/2021, 4 major bridges and 2 roads leading to the ports * Also 43 Federal Tertiary institutions benefiting from rehabilitation of internal roads, 10 already completed The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has updated the Federal Executive Council on the ongoing road and bridge construction/rehabilitation projects nationwide, highlighting 80 of them as priority projects scheduled for completion in the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Fashola, who gave the updates in a presentation he made before the Council, said a total of 524 road and bridge projects were currently going on across the country adding that every State in the Federation including the FCT has at least three such ongoing projects. He listed those on priority to include 27 financed with Sovereign SUKUK Fund, 47 scheduled for substantial completion in 2020/2021 and other priority projects, two roads leading to the ports and four major bridges. Giving reasons for the prioritization of the 80 projects, the Minister who explained that it would improve the ease of doing business in the country, declared, “The projects on completion will bring about reduced travel time, lower vehicle operating costs and improve the comfort of road users as well as improve the ease of doing business in the country and ultimately boost the Nigerian Economy”. He noted that Federal roads and bridges (categorized from A1 to A9) are major arterial routes that connect all states in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory, adding that the routes and bridges linked cities with high economic activities and carried majority of Heavy Goods Vehicles which gradually dispersed through the link routes to different parts of the country. The Minister listed the roads to include Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin-Jebba-Kotangora-Jega-Sokoto-Niger Border as A1; Warri-Benin-Lokoja-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano-Daura-Niger Border as A2; Port Harcourt-Aba-Umuahia-Okigwe-Oturkpo-Makurdi-Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Maiduguri-Gamboru as A3 and Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Katsina Ala-Jalingo-Yola-Bama-Maiduguri as A4. Also listed are Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta-Ibadan as A5; Onitsha-Ihiala-Owerri—A.3 Junction at Umu Uyo as A6; Chikanda, Kosubosu-Kaiama-Kishi-Ilorin as A7; Mayo Belwa-Ganye-Serti-Mayo Selbe-Gembu as A8 and Jibiya-Katsina-Kano as A9. Prioritized road projects being funded through the Sovereign SUKUK Fund, Fashola said, include Abuja-Abaji Road(Section 1,International Airport Link Road Junction-Sheda Village Junction),  Abuja-Lokoja Road Section IV (Koton Karfi-Lokoja), Dualisation of Obajana Junction-Benin Phase 2: Section 1 (Obajana Junction to Okene) , Construction of Oju/Loko-Oweto Bridge to Link Loko and Oweto  with approach roads, Reconstruction of Bida-Lambata Road in Niger State and Dualization of Suleja-Minna Road Phase 11 in Niger State. They also include Kano-Maiduguri Road (Section ii, iii and iv), rehabilitation of outstanding section of Onitsha-Enugu Expressway: Amansea- Enugu State Border, Dualization Of Obajana Junction-Benin Phase 2: (Section ii, iii and iv), Rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt Road Section iv: Aba-Port Harcourt, and Dualization Of Yenegwe Road Junction-Kolo-Otuoke-Bayelsa Palm (20km). Others include Dualization of Ibadan-Ilorin (Section ii) in Oyo State, reconstruction of the outstanding Sections of Beni-Ofosu-Ore-Ajebandele-Shagamu Expressway Phase iii, pavement strengthening and asphalt overlay of Ajebandele- Ijebu Ode-Shagamu Road in Ogun State. Some of the projects scheduled for substantial completion in 2020/2021 and other priority projects, according to the Minister, include rehabilitation of Alesi-Ugep (Iyamoyung-Ugep) Section in Cross River State, construction of Yenegwe-Okaki-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road and completion of rehabilitation of Ada-Okere-Ukoni-Amedokhiom Old Road, Uromi, Edo State. Also included are the rehabilitation of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road in (Section i) and Odukpani-Itu Bridge Head in Cross River State, construction of Bodo-Bonny Road with a bridge across the Opobo Channel, in Rivers State, rehabilitation of Odukpani Junction-Akpet Central Section of Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja Road in Cross River State, rehabilitation of Oshogbo-Ilesha Road in Osun State, Dualization of Abeokuta-Ibadan Road, and reconstruction of Apapa-Wharf Road in Lagos State, among others. The four bridges under the priority projects are construction of Ibi Bridge, completion of construction of Chanchangi Bridge along Takum-Wukari Road in Taraba State, construction of Ikom Bridge  in Cross River State and emergency rehabilitation/maintenance of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, while the two roads leading to ports are the construction of Agaie-Katcha-Barro Road in Niger State and construction of Baro Port to Gulu Town in Niger State. The brief also provided a detailed  record of ongoing road and bridge projects in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory. Some of the tertiary institutions where the Ministry is currently intervening on roads, according to the report, include the University of Benin where work is ongoing on the rehabilitation and Asphalt Overlay/Construction of Reinforced Concrete Drains and Kerbs and Asphatic Surfacing of three Car parks of 1.1KM Internal Road. Similar work include the ongoing Rehabilitation and Asphalting at Bayero University, Kano State, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, University of Maiduguri, in Borno State, Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, Federal College of Education, Katsina, Katsina State, Federal University of Technology, Owerri and the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo  State. Others include Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State, Internal Road at Federal University Gashua, Yobe State and rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of 2.3 km Internal Road at Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, among others. The Minister, however, told Council that in order to accomplish the objective of completing the prioritized projects in scheduled time, an additional N255.6 billion would be needed to close the funding gap for the projects pointing out that the amount was the difference between the appropriation for the project in the 2020 Budget, which stands N157.05 billion and the actual estimate for the completion of the projects which stands at N412.64 billion. ...