NECA tasks FG on deplorable road conditions

WORRIED by what it described as “poor state of roads” across the country, the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has appealed to the Federal Government for intervention in the interest of all Nigerians and the larger economy.

In a  Save-Our-Soul (SOS) message to the Federal Government, at the weekend, NECA explained that the dilapidated state of roads across the Country now poses grave danger to the citizens and the nation’s economy.

According to NECA, worst hit are the nation’s 194,000-kilometre network of Federal roads, “which have so deteriorated over the years and have been making survival unbearable for all and sundry”.

Director General of NECA, Olusegun Oshinowo said: “The poor state of the roads has had manifold effects on the private sector, the economy and the citizens. World Health Organisation (WHO)’s statistics – Global Status Report on Road Safety, 2015 puts Nigeria at number three in the world’s highest number of fatalities on the roads, behind China and India. More worrisome is the colossal financial allocations over the years to develop our roads without a corresponding result. For instance, investigation revealed that N4.14 trillion was appropriated from 1999 to 2013 by the National Assembly for road repairs, maintenance, among others”.