- Coordinator harps on proper maintenance of roads in Nigeria
From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The Ekiti State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) is set to commence the rehabilitation of roads across all the 16 local governments areas of the state.
The RAAMP Coordinator in the state, Mr Sunday Adunmo, made this known in Ado-Ekiti, capital of the state while briefing newsmen on the RAAMP project in the state.
Adunmo disclosed that the project is a World Bank Assisted project targeted at creating access from the farms to the market places to prevent post- harvest losses, enrich farmers and boost agriculture.
Adunmo who stressed the need for proper maintenance of roads to ensure their durability, lamented the deplorable condition of most of the Fadama roads in the country, which according to him has made access to rural areas and farmsteads to be difficult for farmers to have access to their farms and markets.
“This is a World Bank Assisted project and the concept of the project is creating access from the farms to the market places to prevent post- harvest losses.
“We are creating access for farmers, for those people living in the rural areas to have access to the markets to sell their goods so they can have more money.
“Farmers will be encouraged to go back to farm if there is accessibility. We are creating access for all the farmers to the markets. If the.farmers have easy access to the markets instead of selling their produce at the farm at cheaper rates, they can take them to the markets and make more money. We want to enrich those farmers to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
“If you take a lorry to the farm six, seven days they will still remain in the farm because there are no roads, that is why people are running away from the farm. If we have more farmers, it will boost agriculture.”
Speaking on the road project, Adunmo said, “Ekiti RAAMP has three interventions that have been approved which include rehabilitation, backlog maintenance and spot improvement.
“The length of the roads are: Upgrading 50km, Backlog/Rehabilitation 73km,
Routine Maintenance 130km and
Spot improvement 130km.
“The interventions would cut across all the local governments which have already been divided in phases. They include Igirigiri/Ado-Odo-Ado, Ben Folarin/Oke Aso/Ilawe road, Ogotun, Oye/Are, and other roads from the north, though it will cut across all the16 local governments.
“We are also going to intervene in some state roads- Ijero-Ara- Epe-igbemo- Ilu omoba, among several others.
“These are the first phase of our roads that we are intervening this year. After the intervention this year then we come up with another set of roads which are going to be phase two that will be for next year.”
Adunmo hinted that the 12 roads to be rehabilitated are likely to be spread to 12 contractors that will deliver “because they are performance based contracts.”
He added that 20 states in Nigeria are currently participating in the RAAMP project, noting that the President has mandated other states in the country to join the project.
Underscoring the importance.of embracing maintenance culture to enable roads in the country last longer, the coordinator said.
“We want to build roads that will last longer but part of the problem we have in Nigeria is maintenance. Most of the roads financed by foreign donors till date are in bad shape. Where are the Fadama roads? They are all gone. It is not enough to construct roads without maintaining them.
“Proper maintenance is key. If those roads are not maintained, within two or three years we won’t find them there again. We need maintenance culture, having a ministry that will be delegated to that particular assignment.”