Fred Itua and Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

The Senate, yesterday, faulted Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, over claims that the upper legislative chamber was behind the dilapidated roads in Benue State.

It said the claims by Fashola were “fallacies of the highest order” and that it took exception to the minister’s  claims, insisting it cannot be held responsible for the state of roads across the country.

Senate spokesman, Ajibola Bashiru, said it became necessary for the Senate to speak up on the issue in order not to mislead Nigerians who may blame the wrong institution for thecountry’s poor state of roads.

Fashola was quoted to have made the allegation during a visit by retired Generals and other leaders of thought from Benue South Senatorial District, led by Air Vice Marshal Morgan Monday who complained about the deplorable state of roads in the state.

But the senate replied: “The records are needed to be set right so that the two arms of government should not be seen as working at cross purposes in the course of delivering dividends and good governance to electorates.

“Putting the records straight, the Senate gave the figures of the 2020 proposal for capital expenditure as N265, 868  037,093 by the Executive which the National Assembly passed. The executive later brought revised allocation of N256, 734,983,667 which we also appropriated.  As we talk, even in the budget proposal for 2021, the executive proposed a capital expenditure of N363, 266, 425, 976.

“The Senate then wondered where the minister got his figure of N600 billion which he said was the figure proposed to the National Assembly by his ministry and which was allegedly not supported or approved by the National Assembly. The Senate therefore invites Nigerians and specifically the Ministers guests from Benue State South Senatorial District to note that figures do not lie.”

The Senate, however, listed three road projects  which were ongoing in Benue South as  Oju -Adum Okuku at N 91,180 000, Oturko Township road at N357 200, 000 and Oju/ Loko – Oweto bridge at a cost of N357, 200, 000.

On the minister’s allegation to prioritising constituency projects over other projects,  the Senate said  Fashola’s statement was made to set the National Assembly on collision course with the people they were representing.

“It should be emphasised that never has allocations specifically meant for other projects ever been diverted to constituency projects as constituency projects are having allocations in the budget.”

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  has alleged there were plots by the Federal Government to use the looting of warehouses containing COVID-19 palliatives by hoodlums to cover -up diversion of the items by some of its officials.

The party  in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan,  accused the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq, of giving the impression that CACOVID palliatives looted by hoodlums in the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests  were the same palliatives  she was asked to account for.

The party stated that Nigerians would  not be swayed as they were aware that CACOVID palliatives came from donations from public spirited individuals and organisation, outside  the N500 billion voted by the Federal Government, which has not been accounted for.

“The PDP standing with millions of deprived Nigerians demand that President Muhammadu Buhari immediately order an open and independent public enquiry into the handling of the funds released by the Federal Government as COVID-19 intervention fund.

“The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs should give account of how much was released to her, the specific purchases, with details of contractors, details of distribution of palliatives and agents in all states as well as details of bank withdrawals and beneficiaries of her N20,000 disbursements.”