Naijajingles
Cross River State Government has called on the Federal Government to relinquish ownership of federal roads to states for more effective management and accountability.
Chairman of the Cross River State Planning Commission, Dr. Bong Duke, made the call while speaking at a one-day public lecture on People Governance Policy, where he delivered a paper titled “Recalibrating the Compass of Development in Nigeria.”
Duke lamented the poor state of many federal highways across the country, noting that agencies responsible for their maintenance have failed to rehabilitate them for years.
He argued that since residents of various states are the primary users of these roads, it makes more sense for state governments to oversee their upkeep.
“I personally do not support the ideology of ‘federal roads,’” he said.
“It is not federal officials or politicians who use these roads daily, but the people within the states.
“Cross River State government is already intervening in maintaining them for the sake of our citizens,” he added.
He stressed that allowing states to manage the roads would make them more accountable to their people.
“Every road should be under state control so that citizens can hold their governors responsible.
“It’s unrealistic to expect road users to go to Abuja to hold the Minister of Works accountable,” he said.
According to Duke, most rural dwellers cannot distinguish between federal and state roads but often blame state governments for bad roads, even when the responsibility lies with the federal authorities.
“For this reason,” he added, “the Federal Government should transfer management of these roads to the states, along with the resources allocated for their maintenance.”
