The Acting Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Mr Victor Muruako, has expressed displeasure over poor funding of Federal
Government owned roads across the country and called for increase in the funding.
Muruako expressed his displeasure when he toured federal government road project in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom on Wednesday.
The acting chairman who inspected the Mbak-Oku Iboko road project also urged the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to increase the funding of its roads projects in the region.
“I want to use this opportunity and appeal to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Federal Government to articulate some of these projects that are having financial challenges.
He said they should find ways of completing them before awarding new ones.
Muruako said that the project which was first awarded in March 2013 by the ministry had attained about 50 per cent completion but was stopped due to poor funding.
The acting chairman said that the contractor, Jukok Nigeria Limited, had shown competence to complete the job with the availability of funds.
“This particular project is the people’s project. It is located in the core Niger Delta area where the people need this infrastructure for their day to day life.
“You can see the challenges they are going through.
“You can even see the confusion. I want to use this opportunity and call upon the federal government to fund the Mbak Atai – Ikot Ntuk – Mkpeti – Oku Iboko road project.
“It is a critical road that will touch on the people of Itu Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom.
“It is obvious that some of these projects are conceived with beautiful ideas and good intentions but the funding is a different thing,”Muruako said.
He said that the economic value of the road was tremendous as it would ease the trouble farmers encountered to transport their farm produce to market.
The chairman of the commission urged the people to remain calm and assured them of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to completing the road project.
“I know that the president has good intentions particularly in his next level programme. The people of Itu Local Government Area will definitely reap the dividends of democracy.
“This president is one that insists that the right thing should be done.
“We are very confident that he will ensure that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs funds this particular project so that the people can enjoy it,” he said.
He said that government should plan on project execution for at least a minimum of three years.
Murako said that a project that could not be completed within the financial year could be taken up the next year until it was completed.
