Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, yesterday, has blamed host communities for frustrating government efforts at completing various road projects in the country.
According to Fashola, demands for compensation from communities where federal roads are constructed had created bottlenecks that often leaves those projects uncompleted.
He gave an instance where over N10 billion was already demanded from the government as compensation on the second Niger Bridge, and sought support of communities in order to facilitate the construction of road projects in the country.
Fashola said paucity of funds had marred the completion of some road in the last four years.
Fashola stated this at a briefing held alongside Ministers of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, at the end of Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari with focus on infrastructure.
The minister was responding to questions on the poor state of roads in the country, amid the billions of naira approved by FEC (between May, 2015- May, 2019) being the first tenure of President Buhari.
Fashola said contrary to public expectation, not all the N300 billion budgeted for road construction and rehabilitation was released to the works ministry to execute the projects. He also said the ministry was yet to get funds since his reappointment as minister.
Fashola said some of the ongoing road projects were done on goodwill enjoyed by the Federal Government with contractors.
Fashola blamed some of the abandoned projects on obsolete rates, under budgeting and under funding.
The Minister also disclosed that the FEC approved N8.2 billion for roads projects.
He said FEC 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, from N9.16 billion to 11.22 billion.
He said FEC approved the change of contractor for the Chachangi bridge linking Takum and Wukari in Taraba State, and rewarded it at the cost of N2.132 billion. FEC also approved Katsina Ala bridge at the cost of N3.576 billion, which include the rehabilitation of the 3.2 kilometers access road at Ugbema junction in Benue State.