Speaker of House of Representatives, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, has decried the non-implementation and non-remittance of the five per cent of the petrol pump price to Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
Abbas stated this while declaring open an investigative hearing on non-implementation and remittance of the five per cent user charge in Abuja yesterday.
The speaker, who was represented by represented by the Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, noted that the law was still being flouted by relevant authorities in spite of the efforts of the lawmakers.
“Distinguished guests, it is important to recall that Section 14(1)(h) of the FERMA Amendment Act 2007 stipulates that five per cent of the pump price of petrol and diesel should be allocated to FERMA and the State Maintenance Agencies,” he said.
Abbas quoted the law as stipulating that the allocation should be in the proportion of 40 per cent and 60 per cent respectively for FERMA and state maintenance agencies.
He, however, expressed the regret that over the years, the section of the Act had not been complied with.
This, Abbas said, had affected the operations of the beneficiary agencies of government and, by extension, the Nigerian people plying public roads.
He recalled that the house had, on March 19, considered a motion brought by a member, which showed a non-implementation of remittance of the five per cent user charge.
“The house had expressed concern over the failure of relevant agencies of government to enforce the statutory charge and remittance of the fund to FERMA, and adopted the motion.
“This resulted in the constitution of this ad-hoc committee to investigate the circumstances for the failure of the relevant agencies of government to comply with the section of the Act,” he said.
Abbas, who reaffirmed the commitment of the house to the Nigerian people, said this was in accordance with sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He called for investigation into the status of the five per cent user charge to determine the extent of the violation of the law, the amount of money unremitted and those responsible for it.
“The assignment for this committee is clear: Nigeria now looks up to you to ask the relevant questions and scan through the necessary documents,” he said.
The speaker also urged stakeholders to make strong recommendations on how to forestall further abuse of the law.
Such recommendations, he said, would streamline the remittance processes for ease of access to the funds by the relevant government agencies.
Earlier, the Chairman of the ad-Hoc committee, Rep. Francis Waive, said that the gathering underscored a shared commitment to accountability, transparency and advancement of the country’s infrastructure.
Waive, who lauded President Bola Tinubu’s visionary leadership, said that the Federal Ministry of Works remained steadfast in his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He affirmed Tinubu’s commitment to delivering world-class infrastructure for economic growth, strengthened connectivity and enhanced daily lives of citizens.
“Our roads are the lifelines of commerce and social integration, and their maintenance is not merely a policy directive but a national imperative,” he said.