Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday, said it may not be feasible for states to take over federal roads within their jurisdictions.
Gbajabiamila, who spoke against the backdrop of agitation that federal roads should be transferred to states for reconstruction, maintenance, and control, said such transfer may require the amendment of the Privatisation Act to be achieved.
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He spoke in an interview with reporters during his visit to Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The Speaker noted that under the current constitutional arrangement in the country, federal roads in all states of the federation remained the exclusive assets of the Federal Government. He, however, pointed out that other models could be worked out in terms of states fixing federal roads in their domains and getting refunds later by the Federal Government. Gbajabiamila, who agreed that Ogun is an industrial state with certain impassable federal roads, acknowledged that measures must be taken to assist the state to overcome the challenges.
He said: “Ogun is an industrial state, so to speak, and if you have several companies that are developing the state and Nigeria situated in places where the roads are not passable, it makes that environment very difficult for them to work. So, those observations were received.
“It is for us to look at whether it is even possible legally for the Federal Government to transfer federal roads to any states, that I’m not sure how feasible that is. But there is more than one way to skin a cat. “So even where that is not feasible, it might even require the amendment of the Privatisation Act.
It’s the Federal Government assets. “But if that is not feasible, there are other models that we can look at in terms of other people fixing the roads and then the Federal Government owing them or setting off whatever debts owed by the state, so either way, something definitely needs to be done about those roads.”
The Speaker disclosed that he was in the state to see areas of collaboration between the Federal Government and Ogun State towards the advancement of the state. He commended the governor for his proactiveness in tackling coronavirus pandemic and reducing the mortality rate in the state. Earlier, while receiving the Speaker, Abiodun had appealed to him to intercede on behalf of the state government for the release of some federal roads.
The governor stated that he and his Lagos State counterpart, Babajide Sanwo- Olu, had already written a letter to President Muhammad Buhari, requesting the release of all affected roads for repairs to ease the movement of people and goods for economic growth but still awaiting a response.
