In a move to address the deplorable state of federal roads in Abia State, the Federal Road Emergency Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has commenced repair works on three key thoroughfares within the state.
According to reports from Vanguard, the affected roads include the Aba-Azumini-Akwa Ibom Road, the Umuahia-Bende-Ohafia Road, and the Uturu-Mile 2-Ebonyi border Road.
The repair efforts, which began two weeks ago, are aimed at making these federal roads more passable and reducing the stress experienced by motorists and commuters.
Addressing the media during an inspection tour of the affected roads on Thursday, the Federal Road Maintenance Engineer (FRME) in charge of Abia State, Festus Okafor, explained that the ongoing patch works and repairs are in line with the "Renewed Hope Agenda" of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Okafor appealed to commuters in Abia to be patient with FERMA, as the agency is working to address the situation on the federal roads.
He assured that other federal roads in the state will also receive attention, subject to the availability of resources.
The FRME attributed the delays in intervention to the bureaucracy involved in approvals, particularly for roads that require contract-based repairs.
However, he explained that direct labor interventions can be carried out more quickly for smaller-scale damages.
"We have washouts threatening to cut some roads, especially the Umuahia-Bende Road. We have done quick intervention through direct labor," Okafor said.
"We have also done some patch works on the Aba-Azumini Road and the Uturu-Mile 2-Ebonyi border Road to keep them motorable and reduce hardship on motorists."
Okafor commended President Tinubu for mobilizing FERMA to enable the agency to carry out its duties effectively.
He also praised the Managing Director of FERMA, Dr. Chukwuemeka Agbasi, for his proactive approach, which has contributed to the successes recorded in Abia State.
According to FERMA, Abia State has a total of 14 federal roads, and the agency is committed to ensuring that all of them are in a state of good repair to provide a smooth and stress-free driving experience for residents and travelers.