The House of Representatives has taken a significant step towards improving road maintenance in Nigeria, with an Ad hoc committee established to investigate the implementation and remittance of the 5% user charge on pump price of petroleum products for road maintenance.
The committee has inaugurated two stakeholders’ committees to address issues surrounding the collection and disbursement of the charges. These committees will work together to ensure that the funds are utilized effectively for road maintenance.
The committees have been given specific terms of reference, including specifying modalities for collection and disbursement, recommending personnel and bank account procedures, and identifying gaps and conflicts in policies.
Chairman of the Ad hoc committee, Hon. Francis Waive, emphasized the importance of this national assignment. “This is a national assignment, not a personal business. It is for our roads to be good as elsewhere. We can make the difference for our country, so please, take this serious.”
Waive appealed to the committee members to work diligently without bias, fear, or favor. “I want to appeal, and trust that you’re going to work diligently without bias, without fear or favour,” he said.
The committees comprise representatives from various stakeholders, including FERMA, NPMDPRA, MEMAN, IPMAN, NUPENG, DAPMAN, NARTO, and PETROAN.
The committees will face challenges in addressing the gaps and conflicts in policies, but their work is crucial to ensuring that the 5% user charge is utilized effectively for road maintenance
