Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Wednesday blamed host communities for frustrating government efforts by demanding “compensation” as infrastructure projects are stalled across the country.
Fashola, alongside the ministers of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, made the remark at the second Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari since his second term in office.
The meeting was focused mostly on infrastructure.
Fashola reported that budget funding gaps have worked against completion of roads projects in the country in the past four years.
The Minister was responding to a question on the poor state of roads in the country against the series of approvals given by the FEC during the President’s first term.
According to him, not all the over N300 billion budgeted were released to his ministry.
He added that his office was yet to receive funds since his reappointment as Minister, citing ongoing paperwork.
Fashola explained that some of the road works in progress are based on goodwill; while stressing that there have been criticism against borrowing during the first tenure, he stated that community support is also needed to facilitate construction of roads projects.
He gave an instance of over N10 billion already accruing as compensation on the 2nd Niger Bridge.
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 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,” the Minister complained.
Speaking further on abandoned projects, Fashola blamed “obsolete rates, under budgeting and under funding” as major factors.
On the 20,000 abandoned projects alleged by the National Assembly, Fashola said:
“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 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,” he explained.
The Minister disclosed that the FEC approved a total of N8.2 billion for roads projects.
Fashola said two of the approvals were to revise the estimates of cost to enable the contractor continue work.
He said the 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 was revised from N3.7 to N4.3 billion.
The Council also the revised cost of N2.052 billion for 67 kilometers Alasi-Ugep road in Cross River State. The Council approved a revision from N9.16 billion to 11.22 billion.
He said the 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.
The FEC also approved 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.