The Confab session for Tuesday started with recommendations of the committee on Transportation, read by the chairman of the committee.
Barr. Nasariu representing Kebbi state praised the recommendations made by the committee but pointed out the gross omission of accident prevention on our roads.
He recommended that any driver who kills someone on the road by reckless driving should pay 10 Million Naira as fine.
Alani Akirinade called for the diversification of the national transport sector. He argued that the country needed to define governance, saying that some of the institutions and agencies established to handle specific jobs have failed.
He argued that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has failed the country and should be re-engineered and further called on the Federal Government to hands off intra-state roads and concentrate on interstate roads.
Ibrahim Biu drew attention to the situation of roads in the country with particular emphasis on the North-East zone. He said all the roads were in disrepair, adding that journeys which could have taken a few hours have become death traps.
“We have this inland container deport cited in Gombe and Bauchi and other places but recommended that the Government should provide land for the concessionaires to build facilities at the ports,” he said.
Hassan Aliu had said that the report of the Conference may turn out to be the best in the country but lamented that the implementation is the bane of the report.
As a former permanent secretary in the ministry of works, he said the recommendation that interstate roads to go back to the states would create more problems.
He also drew attention to the damage done by petrol tankers on the nation’s roads and called for urgent measures to check the situation.
Robert Audu said there was need for Nigeria to establish a national carrier adding that the Nigeria Airways was one of the best things to happen to the country. He argued that the country established Air Nigeria as a national carrier but lamented that it was sold off without due diligence.
“I call on the government to revive the Nigeria Airways or create another national carrier to fly the name of the country just like the South African Airways and the Ethiopian Airline,” he said.
“Mr. Chairman, I don’t have control over nature and that was why I had to go out and answer its call. I was not around when you called me. I am her now and I want to take my turn,” he shouted into the microphone.