In this interview with CHUKWU DAVID, 
Senator Gershom Bassey, who represents Cross River South on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA). In this interview with CHUKWU DAVID, he speaks on the challenges of the agency and also commends the governor and government of Cross River State for being proactive in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic
You are the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA). When you travel across the country, you will see a lot of dilapidation on the federal roads. Is the agency now comatose that it cannot carry out its statutory functions effectively or what is really the problem?
FERMA is not comatose; FERMA is a bit handicapped because of funding. But recently, the funding has improved and we are now beginning to see efforts from all parties – the Legislature and the Executive increase the funding to FERMA. You will recall that in 2007, there was an amendment to the FERMA Act, which now allocates five per cent of petroleum tax to FERMA. Unfortunately, that Act has never been implemented since 2007 till today; not a kobo has gone to FERMA.
I think the Executive has realised that not funding FERMA when you are funding everybody else is a serious error because in all economic activities including transportation of petroleum products from one part of the country to another, they move on federal roads. You don’t have inland waterways; so everything has to be move on the road. So, it’s important that FERMA is funded so that you can have very quick intervention on our roads. Almost N900 billion has accrued to FERMA since 2007 which has not been paid. If FERMA has N900 billion in all these years, then our roads would have been in perfect condition.
What do you think should be the budget of FERMA annually for it to function effectively?
FERMA needs about N300 billion to N400 billion every year to maintain the roads in the states they are in. We need this amount to maintain the wear and tear on the roads because there is no road in Nigeria that is not bad. Even roads that were constructed a few years ago are already in bad shape. The budget of FERMA in the federal budget is usually meager compared to the enormous responsibilities the agency has to undertake in maintaining the roads.
So, if we want to rely on the federal budget for the funding of FERMA, then we have to increase the funding from the federal budget. That was where the issue of five per cent petroleum tax came in because there is a funding gap in FERMA; let’s increase funding for FERMA. It’s because of this funding gap that you are saying what you are saying. But if we resolve that issue, FERMA is going to be one of the most efficient MDAs in the country.
Don’t you think that it is an indictment on the Senate because the parliament has the power of appropriation and oversight on the MDAs, and it’s your responsibility to ensure adequate funding of the establishments of government?
Well, currently we have an investigation going on in the Senate which I am chairing because our work is to make laws but it is the executive that implements the laws we make; we are not the ones implementing the laws. This Ninth Assembly has set up a panel to carry out an investigation into the activities, particularly the funding of FERMA, and before the end of this first session, the report will be laid. We have invited all the relevant persons to find out what happened. So, we are doing our oversight, and the oversight has led to the investigation.
The East-West Road has been in a very bad condition over the years. As a Senator from the southern part of the country, what effort are those of you from the area making to get all the necessary works on the road completed?
The East-West Road has not been completed but we have made a lot of efforts to get the road completed. The East-West Road originally stopped in Akwa Ibom State but because of the agitation of those of us from Cross River, it now stops in Cross River. You recall that the immediate past Minister of Niger Delta is also from Cross River; so we have been able to bring that road all the way to Cross River.
I understand that the road is being funded by the Chinese Exim Bank. I understand that the money is intact there. The only thing holding the work is just to resolve one or two technical issues so that they can complete that road. But there are certain sections of the road that have been completed while certain sections have not been completed that’s why you can’t use the entire road. Again, the current Minister of Niger Delta is from Akwa Ibom State; so hopefully that entire road network will be completed.
Cross River State was the last state in Nigeria to record cases of COVID-19. What do you think was responsible for this; was it as a result of any extraordinary factor you know about?
I think that the Cross River State government has said it in various media; the state has been very proactive in terms of the management of the pandemic. I remember that the Cross River State was the first state to talk of wearing of face mask. It was also the first state in Nigeria to go into mass production of mask. In fact, the state produced in commercial quantities to the extent of exporting to other states.
It also assisted many states with masks by giving them free of charge as a means of helping them to contain the spread of the disease. If you recall, the state was also the first to start stressing on social distancing. So, even before the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) came to our state, the state government had already made the wearing of mask a daily lifestyle for the citizens and indeed all residents of the state.
I know that before the Federal Government started stressing on the issue of lockdown, they had already locked down the state. I think the governor himself manned borders and some Commissioners also manned borders. So, the Cross River State government is very proactive in its fight against COVID-19.
The only controversy was on the issue of testing; and the governor and even others have been calling for more testing, and of course you cannot test if you don’t have the test equipment. So, to the best of his ability, he tried to prevent the entry of the pandemic into the state by acting in a responsible way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
Now that testing has started and the governor has gotten the right equipment and sorted out some controversies and confusion on the protocols; sorted out the right protocols, because there were initial controversies on the protocols, other measures are also being put in place to control the spread and in fact eliminate the pandemic totally from the state.
Having cases of COVID-19 is not even an issue because I don’t believe that there is any prize for being COVID free. COVID is everywhere in the world. What is particularly encouraging is the government’s response to every facet of the COVID-19 onslaught. Of course, now that the COVID-19 has come into the state, the governor has continued to encourage more testing and encourage of more preventive measures.
The other day, he was talking about what they were going to do about schools and other kinds of things. So, he has continued to be proactive in the fight against the pandemic. Therefore, the focus should not be whether or not we have COVID-19 because that is a trivial issue; the main issue is the way you are reacting because everybody is going to have COVID-19.
So, the main issue is how we are managing it. I have seen it in other countries where they have been able to successfully flatten the curve in the rise; and where there have been irresponsible activity, we have seen spikes in COVID-19. I believe that Cross River State Government has been responsible in its response to COVID-19 and I believe they will continue to be responsible.
The governor of Cross River State came on national television some weeks back and said that as a professional, the issue of COVID-19 has been exaggerated. Do you agree with him?
Well, I don’t know what the governor said but it is action that speaks louder than words. And as far as I am concerned, the actions of the government of Cross River State led by the governor has been very responsible; they have been very proactive in their response to the Coronavirus.
Yes, nobody is above mistakes. There have been a few mistakes here and there but where they made mistakes, they have quickly corrected those mistakes. So, as far as I am concerned, they have been proactive, and that is what they can do. We have seen it all over the world. Where they are not proactive, you see rise in Coronavirus cases; where they are proactive, it will reduce.
Some people still doubts the reality of COVID-19, and so they tend to disregard the protocols handed down by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the NCDC towards curbing its spread. What’s your take on this?
COVID-19 is real; so, let’s not be irresponsible about it. It is with us and we will continue to pray that we will get over it. There will soon be vaccine and all that. But to deny COVID-19 is like the ostrich that is keeping its head inside the sand and you can see the whole body. So, what are you talking about?
As part of its efforts to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on the citizenry, the National Assembly recently appropriated N52 billion for the recruitment of 774,000 Nigerians in a Special Public Works Programme. But this has provoked serious controversy between the lawmakers and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity. As a member of the Senate Committee on Labour, what is your position on the matter?
As far as I am concerned, there is no controversy. The National Assembly has come out with its position, and of course the Executive agreed with that position. So, there is no controversy. And if you are employing 774,000 in a Programme that has been jointly approved by the Executive and the Legislature, then it is important that we jointly monitor the implementation of that Programme. It is as simple as that and that is what we as a responsible Legislature are going to do.
We will effectively monitor the implementation of that programme just as we are sure that the executive is also going to monitor its implementation. We have appropriated the money, the Executive will spend it; then we monitor it, and monitor it effectively. Where we believe that there is a waste or overlap, we will point it out, and in the spirit of cooperation we have with the Executive we believe that they will cut it out.
For instance, the committees that were set up for the implementation of the programmes, we in the parliament were not aware of how the members were selected, and we raised the issue, and the executive, in fairness to the concerns of the legislature, has suspended it, and they have said that they are going to come and explain it in detail to us. That is how to work together, and we are happy with that, that they are going to come and justify what they are doing. If they don’t justify it, we tell them that it is not working; it’s waste, and we come to a resolution.
You were a member of the Eighth Assembly; have you seen any departure between that Assembly and this Ninth Assembly?
I think that the Ninth Assembly has done well. They have passed a number of fundamental and far reaching motions and bills. They have also been proactive in their interventions in the economy and in the politics of the country. Just last week, we passed a bill on sexual harassment in tertiary institutions. The other day we talked about illicit financial flows and other fundamental issues. I think the Ninth Assembly has done very well, coupled with the fact that we have enjoyed very good cooperation from the Executive. I can say, so far so good.
