The Senate has asked the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on federal roads across the country.

Lawmakers in the Senate made the request during Tuesday’s plenary at the upper chamber of the National Assembly in Abuja.

This followed a motion raised by Senator Gershom Bassey from Cross River State who decried the deplorable state of federal roads in Nigeria.

Senator Bassey also informed the Senate that the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has failed to remit the five per cent user charge of fuel pump price to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), as stipulated in the Act for the rehabilitation of federal roads.

In its resolution, the Senate ordered its committees on Petroleum and FERMA to investigate the alleged non-remittance of funds by PPPRA for the rehabilitation of roads in the country.

Buhari Seeks Approval

Meanwhile, the Senate received a request from President Muhammadu Buhari for approval to pay Kogi State Government N10.069 billion as a refund of money spent by the state on behalf of the Federal Government.

The request was contained in a letter dated October 10 and read by the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, during plenary.

The requested amount was for the settlement of inherited local debts and contractual obligations of the Federal Government to Kogi for projects executed on its behalf.

President Buhari, in the letter, recalled that 24 out of 25 state governments had received the approval of the National Assembly for the settlement of claims on projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.

He added that the sum of N10.069 billion was the outstanding amount due to the Kogi State government, the only state yet to receive a refund.

The letter reads: “The Distinguished Senate President would recall that, based on my request for the Resolution of the National Assembly approving the establishment of a promissory note programme and a Bond Issuance to settle inherited Local Debts and Contractual Obligations of the Federal Government, the 8th National Assembly passed Resolutions approving the Issuance of Promissory Notes to refund State Governments for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.

“The Resolutions of the 8th Assembly were conveyed through three different letters from the Clerk of the National Assembly as follows: Letter dated July 27, 2018 and referenced NASS/CAN/106/Vol.10/277 which approved the Issuance of Promissory notes to 21 states.

“Letter dated January 29, 2019 and referenced NASS/CAN/106/Vol.11/004 which approved the Issuance of Promissory Notes to Delta and Taraba States; and letter dated May 23, 2019 and referenced NASS/CAN/106/Vol.11/164 which approved the Issuance of Promissory Notes to Bauchi State.

“The three Resolutions approved the Issuance of Promissory Notes to 24 out of the 25 State Governments requested, and the only State for which approval has not been given is Kogi State, with an outstanding claim of N10,069,692,410.15 (Ten billion, Sixty-Nine million, Six Hundred and Ninety-Two thousand, Four Hundred and Ten Naira, Fifteen Kobo).

“The Senate may wish to note that, subsequent to Resolutions of the National Assembly approving the refunds to the 24 State Governments, the Federal Government has issued Promissory Notes to all the approved States for the settlement of their claims.

“Accordingly, the Senate is hereby requested to kindly approve, the Issuance of a Promissory Note in the sum of N10, 069,692,410.15 as a refund to Kogi State Government for Projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.”

The President’s request was, thereafter, referred to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts for further legislative work. (Channels TV)

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