Babatunde Fashola, minister of
works and housing, has blamed some communities for uncompleted projects,
disclosing how a demand of N10 billion compensation was made for work to
continue on the 2nd Niger bridge.
Speaking with reporters at the
end of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by President
Muhammadu Buhari, the minister said huge demands have led to uncompleted
projects across the country.
Fashola said budget funding gaps
also worked against completion of roads projects in the country in the last
four years.
He added that his office had not
received funds since his reappointment as minister, as there are still paper
work processes ongoing.
“Getting FEC approvals is one
half of the story, but we don’t get all of the cash. Even the local communities
are not helping issues ,” he said.
“As we speak, some people are
asking us to pay N10 billion now as compensation for the 2nd Niger bridge…
there is a gap between infrastructure needs and income. People are also
complaining that government is borrowing too much.
“We have heard that funds have
been released, but we are yet to get anything. I have not received any money
since I came to office, this time around.”
On abandoned 20,000 projects
alleged by the national assembly, Fashola said nothing of such exists.
“I think first of all it is
important we all speak the same language. There is a clear distinction between
uncompleted and abandoned projects. First of all, my ministry does not have
20,000 projects,” the minister said.
“The right question should be
what are we doing about completing projects, one of the things we have done is
finding out why projects are not completed. In some cases the rates have become
obsolete so the price range has changed, cement price has changed, the change
rate has changed, inflation has gone into the quantity it was awarded before it
came.
“So, we are trying to resuscitate
some of those projects because we know that the contractors will not go back to
work if the pricing is not right.”
The minister also disclosed that
the FEC approved a total of N8.2 billion for roads projects.
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