The speed breakers were meant to curb reckless driving, and the attendant auto crashes.
The House of Representatives has renewed its call for the clearing of the recently-installed speed breakers on Abuja highways, offering to provide budgetary provisions for their removal, “if that is what it will need”.
Usman Nafada, the Deputy Speaker, said Tuesday that the chamber still opposes the speed bumps, and will do all it can to clear the structures, which the Federal Capital Territory Administration said were meant to curb reckless driving, and the attendant auto crashes, around the city centre.
After motorists complained that the speed breakers had caused more damage than the desired merits, lawmakers urged Adamu Aliero, the Minister of the FCT, to reverse the decision and order their removal.
Mr. Aliero explained that the project was financed by a commercial bank with the FCT’s approval; as such, the administration had no funding to reverse them in 2009.
While considering the budget proposal of the FCT for 2010 on Tuesday, the lawmakers said they expected Mr. Aliero, who has faced repeated criticisms for non-performance, to have listed funds for the project in the new budget.
“They are complaining that the breakers were created by a bank and they don’t have money to remove them,” said Mr. Nafada. “Now is the time for them to put money in the budget to remove them and they have not put it.”
The capital city proposed a budget of over N347 billion for 2010 with more than N278 billion planned for capital expenditure which the administration said will include the expansion of the city and upgrade of facilities, as Abuja experiences a rapidly rising population.
Mr. Nafada said, as the House continues debating the proposed projects listed in the estimates, they will consider inserting a provision to fund the removal of the speed breakers. “If they don’t put it, we will put it for them,” he said.
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