By 
Kenny EMMANUEL
The House of Representatives has expressed worries over the deplorable state of road infrastructure in the country.
The Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Muktar Betara, raised the concern during a visit to the Ministry of Works and Housing in Abuja.
Betara, accompanied by committee members Ahmadu Usman Jaha and Kabir Tukura, called on the government to provide alternative funding for the Gombe-Biu federal road in Borno State.
He noted that despite budgetary provisions for the road the funds were insufficient.
According to the federal lawmaker, he ‘came in purposely because of our major road – Gombe-Biu road. The contract has been awarded 5 to 6 years ago and the contractor is very slow on the work.
‘At any time we had a discussion with him, his own problem is funding, funding, funding, because the funding issues for that kind of work cannot come through the budget, though I’m the Chairman of Appropriations Committee, I have limits as to how much I can put on a road in my constituency.
‘So, I decided to come and see the Permanent Secretary and the Honourable Minister to plead, and I’m happy today that he has informed me that there is a window for funding of Gombe-Biu road project on the ground.
‘So, they are going to have a meeting with the contractors by next week after the approval by the Federal Executive Council.’
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Housing, Hassan Musa, receiving the lawmakers, said that the Federal Government was committed to ensuring adequate funding for major road projects across the country.
‘On behalf of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and on behalf of the Honourable Minister, Babatunde Raji Fashola, I want to confirm that we are creating new funding for that road and the contractor will be given all necessary enablement for him to be able to deliver on that road.
‘We have seen the dilapidated condition of that road and also difficulties the people around the area of this area are facing due to the condition of the road,’ Musa stated.
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