As Nigerians continue to lament the bad state of roads across the country, Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, has listed underfunding of his Ministry as a major factor frustrating efforts to deliver on infrastructure.
The Minister stated these while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, which focused majorly on infrastructure, according to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed
This is just as the Minister also blamed communities through which the roads passed for frustrating government efforts through over payment of compensation
The Minister, while responding to questions on poor state of roads, as well as the large number of abandoned projects dotting Nigeria’s landscape, listed non-release of all budgetary allocations and unreasonable compensation demands by host communities as the key challenges faced by government in fixing the deplorable roads across the country.
Fashola had announced FEC approvals for upward variation of contract costs for the rehabilitation and construction of some roads and bridges in Anambra, Kano and Benue States.
“ 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”
Speaking further on abandoned projects, Fashola blamed “obsolete rates, under budgeting and under funding” as major factors
According to him, “ 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
“ As we speak, some people are asking us to pay N10b 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”
The Minister disclosed that his Ministry received two approvals to revise the estimated of costs of some contracts previously awarded to enable contractor continue work.
According to him, “ Council approved N519 million revision of contract sum of Oba Nnewi Okigwe Road to cater for change in cost of materials since the project was awarded in 2009. The contract sum revised from N3.7 to N4.3 billion.
“The second contact is a revision of estimate for the 67 kilometers Ugep road in Cross River state, council approved a revision from N9.16 billion to 11.22 billion, the revised cost is N2.052 billion.”
“Council approved the change of contractor for the Chachangi bridge linking Takum and Wukari in Taraba State and rewarded at the cost of N2.132 billion and the Katsina Ala bridge at the cost of N3.576 billion, which include total bridge repairs, changing of expansion joints, changing of bearings and rehabilitation of the 3.2 kilometers access road at Ugbema junction in Benue State”
Also briefing State House Correspondents, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, said his Ministry will require about N1.2b to maintain sports facilities across the country, annually.
The Minister commended the performance of Nigerian athletes at the just concluded Africa games in Morocco, adding that it will serve as a benchmark for the 2020 Olympics preparation.
Team Nigeria had finished second at Rabat, Morocco behind Egypt the the just concluded African Games. Nigeria won a total of 121 medals: 46 gold, 33 silver and 47 bronze.
According to him Team Nigeria had only seven weeks to prepare for that game, but added that the country would have performed better, “if it had a longer period to prepare for the games
“So there is a lesson learnt from there,” he said.
He said the athletes will leave for the Doha meet on Saturday, adding that the outcome will determine Nigeria’s performance in the 2020 June Olympics.
