By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
Except the Project Continuity Bill presented to the National Assembly aimed at criminalizing abandonment of ongoing projects by successive governments is attended to, the current state of abandonments on Nigerian roads will continue unabated.
The former Director, National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Haruna Penni, disclosed this at the conferment of Corporate Award of Excellence on the Management of Niger State Rural Access and Mobility Projects (RAMP-2) by the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Minna, Niger State.
He said that it was worrisome that political leaders, projects managers and contractors had reduced the impacts of public works, stressing, “It
has compounded Nigeria’s woes in assessing motorable roads.”
Delivering a lecture titled, “Overview of Implementation of Rural Road Infrastructure in Nigeria with Special Reference to Niger State”, Penni called on project managers to change the trend by supporting the actualization of the Projects Continuity Bill.
Penni, who also doubles as a consultant to the RTEAN, said, “At all levels of governance, it is observed that Nigeria has been unfortunate with prevalence of resources mismanagement that are otherwise well-conceived projects and programmes designed to uplift the people and mitigate incidences of underdevelopment.
“This was turned into nepotic processes and instruments of self-gratification, oppression and as well misplaced priorities for those vested with the responsibility of making policies for accessible road network in Nigeria”.
Penni further disclosed, “A Project Continuity Bill was drafted and presented by the erstwhile National Planning Commission in 2014 and has been transmitted to National Assembly for necessary action”.
