The former President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Babagana Mohammed, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari sign the National Road Fund and Federal Road Bills into law.
Mohammed said the executive branch had made several attempts of the government to reform the road sector but all to no avail. According to him, the 8th National Assembly decided, in early 2016, to take the bull by the horns by embarking on a holistic reform of the transportation sector with the participation of all relevant stakeholders, resulting in the bills that emerged from its chambers.
“These bills were subsequently reviewed and passed by the current 9th National Assembly. If strategically implemented, these bills will catalyze the diversification and expansion of Nigeria’s economy.
“NSE and other stakeholders served on two technical committees, amongst others, to ensure that the Road Sector Reform Bills, National Road Fund and Federal Road Bills were professionally drafted to stimulate a holistic transportation system which would have guaranteed the sustainable wellness and economic competitiveness of Nigeria in the sector. The technical committee also re-created the road transport mode which would be a formidable force for re-inventing the economy of Nigeria.”
He noted that the committees did incorporate into the bills the institutional /legal framework for the management of a world-class road transport mode in Nigeria, which did not exist in the current system.
In a recent letter to the President, he urged Buhari to consider and approve the Constitution of the Presidential Taskforce on The Transport Sector Reform (PTTSR) as recommended in the technical reports in favour of the bills.
“Your Excellency, the approval will expedite and professionally guide the implementation of the Transport Sector Reform Bills passed by the 9th National Assembly.”
He disclosed that an effective and efficient transportation system was a catalyst for accelerated socio-economic development.
He said evidence-based studies had confirmed that the absence of a sustained, coordinated, and inter-modal management of the transportation systems in any nation contributed about 25 to 30 percent to the cost of production of goods and services in such countries.
“For more than four decades, Nigeria has failed to carry out a holistic reform of the transport sector, despite numerous attempts by various governments and stakeholders to champion policies, bills, and programs aimed at the remarking of the sector. The damage this unfortunate scenario has inflicted on Nigeria’s socio-economic growth and development has been serious and colossal.
“It is, therefore, instructive to note that the 9th National Assembly recognised the compelling need to find solutions to the mitigating factors that had stalled the reform of the transport sector and therefore embarked upon a robust programme to ensure the passage of all the relevant bills alluded to in paragraph one of the letter. Unfortunately, the bills were not assented to by Mr President during the 8th National Assembly. It is therefore reassuring that the 9th National Assembly has successfully passed all the Bills.”
He said that it was noteworthy that the bills would abrogate existing monopoly laws and liberate the sector to allow private sector participation. More importantly, he noted that the bills sought to create institutional frameworks that delineated and defined the roles of policy formation, operation, and regulation.
“We are very optimistic that these new transport sector bills will accelerate infrastructure development in Nigeria. It will also create the required enabling environment for private sector investment in critical infrastructure and provide a conducive and sustainable business environment in the various modes of transport operation.”
He reiterated that to engender the accelerated implementation of these landmark Transport Sector Reform Bills, it had become pertinent to put together a task force on transport sector reform with membership drawn from all the relevant public and private sector organs, including the states.
“In the light of the foregoing, Mr President is invited to note that all the Bills that are required for the sustainable reform of the Transport sector have been passed by the 9th National Assembly. It is very urgent and compelling that all the Bills are signed into Acts by Mr. President,” he said.
