Why Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (Ferma) Is Not Functioning

By Dare Adedeji

The poor performance of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has been attributed to the non appointment of a Chief Executive Officer for the agency.

CityMirrorNews gathered that there is nobody to give direction for the agency, and its administrative works are pending.

FERMA’s operations are impaired by non-appointment of a Chief Executive Officer or a Managing Director who can sign bills and projects.

The agency was established by the Acts of the Parliament in the year 2002 and has commenced full operation from 2004. More than five Chief Executive Officers or Managing Directors has been appointed either in Acting or substantive capacity to pilot and steer the ship of the agency.

Investigation revealed that things started to take a different dimension FERMA with the appointment of Engineer Steve George Amuchi in 2011 as the Managing Director.

It was gathered that Amuchi started his tenure on a good note by ensuring that federal roads across the country were attended to in terms of maintenance promptly.

But Amuchi’s commitment to the job dwindled which negatively affected the discharge of his statutory roles in the agency when he started playing open politics with ousted Peoples Democratic Party ((PDP).

Sources in the agency alleged that he disregarded the directives of the parent ministry, which is the Federal Ministry of Works and orders of the Board of Directors as a result of his closeness to the Presidency and Aso Rock Villa where he allegedly gave out contracts as patronage.

The sources added that when his tenure expired, Amuchi tried all he could to elongate his stay even when all other Executive Directors had left but to no avail.

Amuchi, allegedly floated the directive of the Federal Ministry of Works that he should hand over to the most Senior Director in the agency, but instead handed over to one Engr. Peter Egbo, the Executive Director (South West Operations), claiming that his four-year tenure in the agency has not expired.

Egbo, a 70 years old man, is a retired officer from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Some of the staff of the agency said Egbo’s age and health is hindering his performance which is affecting the operations of the agency.

The Acting Managing Director was said to be away for over two weeks without handing over to the most senior director in the agency.

As at the time of filing this report, he is yet to resume duty, making files are lying fallow in his office without any attention