FG Bars States From Intervening In Deplorable Federal Roads

The Federal Government has banned states from intervening in Federal Government owned roads irrespec­tive of their deplorable condition.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, gave this indi­cation while giving details of what transpired at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, at the State House, Abuja.

He, however, gave the impression that demands by states for refund after intervention may have spurred council to ap­prove the decision for states to desist from such intervention.

But FEC approved that three states, Kebbi, Taraba and Yobe, be refunded the amount spent on repairing federal roads in their domains, espe­cially as such contracts were awarded prior to the inception of the current administration.

The latest directive from the presidency comes as many federal roads are in deplorable conditions across the country owing partly to the rainy sea­sons and heavy duty vehicles plying such roads.

Beyond this directive, Fash­ola said contract was awarded for the reconstruction of the Mushin-NNPC-Apapa-Os­hodi road, the road that goes through Isolo to Ejigbo, at the sum of N11,166,270,197.85 to Strabic Construction Compa­ny, with a completion period of 20 months.

Commenting on the ban, he said, “Council approved the report and recommendation of a Council committee set up by the president in order to respond to demands by state governments for refunds on intervention made previously before this administration on federal roads”.

Fashola explained that the president subsequently issued the directive that there should be no more intervention by states on federal roads.

“There were some that had been done before the life of this administration. So there were three states, Kebbi, Yobe and Taraba. I think on the 22nd of June, I reported that the claims for Yobe for N18.663 billion were approved. That left for those of Kebbi and Taraba states. So today coun­cil approved N6.706 billion for Kebbi State and N2.470 billion for Taraba State.

About The Author

Fasholu Gabriel Oluwatobi

Gabriel O. Fasholu is the founder and editor of SPYCONNET. A brilliant Educationist, Social Media Enthusiast & Freelancer who is passionate about passing undefiled information to the entire public.

See author's posts