FG not frustrating Ambode, says Fashola

…accuses Lagos governor of frustrating national housing project

 The federal ministry of works, housing and power has said it was not in frustrating any effort by the government of Lagos to undertake the reconstruction of the Muritala Mohammed International Airport road in Lagos.

The minister of works, housing and power, Babatunde Fashola in a statement by his special adviser, Hakeem Bello said the statement credited to Ambode lacked merit.  

The attention of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has been drawn to certain statements credited to the Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode claiming  that the “Federal Ministry of Works“ has been frustrating the efforts of his administration to carry out a “total reconstruction of the International Airport Road from Oshodi.”

The governor also“Federal Ministry of Works and Housing” and Security Services of denying the State Government access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos six months after President Muhammadu Buhari approved it off for the State.

This response is to ensure that members of the public are not misled by deliberate or inadvertent mis-statements.

“In 2016, the minimassive er for Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, approved the use of the Federal Ministry of works yard at Oworonsoki for Lagos State Government to create a lay-by to ease traffic.

The minister also approved that Lagos State be granted the Rights to manage the Street Lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge to support the security initiatives of the State, a request which the previous Federal Government administration had denied Lagos State for years.

During the same year the also supported the approval of the World Bank Loan of $200m to Lagos State, again a request the previous administration had denied Lagos State.

As far as International Airport Road which is currently the ground for alleged “frustration” is concerned, the correct position is that the Lagos State Government presented a  request for FOUR roads that it would wish to take over.

This she did to position being canvassed by the Hon Minisiter for States who are interested to apply to take over Roads that are within their States.

He said  the ministry has presented the memorandum conveying the request of the Lagos State Government to the Federal Executive Council as was done with a similar request by the Kaduna State Government in 2016.

 Due to the fact that TWO of the roads also connect Ogun State, the Federal Executive Council could not reach an immediate decision on them because it requested the input of the other State Government affected.

The Kaduna State Government requested the Federal Government to transfer two roads within Kaduna Metropolis to the State in November 2015. Due process was followed and the request of the State Government was approved in August 2016, a period of ten months.

Federal Executive Councill Memorandum are debated and commented upon by all members and in cases of roads, surveys, maps and other material have to be provided to assist members understand the location and connectivity of the roads, (in this case Four roads), in order to assist how they vote on the Memorandum.

As far as the Presidential Lodge is concerned, it is under the management of the Presidency and not the ministrys

After the approval by President that the Presidential Lodge be handed over to the State Government, there was a directive to the Ministry to work out the modalities for handing over.

The ministry has prepared a vesting instrument to convey the transfer and all that is needed is a survey plan or

Fashola said in the statement that the Presidential Lodge is a high security location and officials of the ministry also require security clearance to enter in order to do any works.

“Access to the lodge is not under the control of the ministry.

The motive behind this public accusations must therefore be scrutinized coming barely a week after the governor spoke with the minister, Babatunde Fashola on the outstanding requests of the state for several minutes and the minister took time to explain the situation of things to the governor. (The first telephone conversation the governor has had with the minister since May 29, 2015).”