Works and Housing Minister Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN said that reasonable amount of the 2020 Budget of his Ministry would be channeled towards completion of some priority on-going road projects in Nigeria.
According to Mr. Fashola, the Ministry has about Five Hundred and Twenty-Four road projects across the country, out of this, the Ministry had categorized about Forty-seven as priority projects to be completed.
He explained that the Forty-seven roads projects were chosen by the Ministry because the Ministry does not have enough resources to work on all the Five Hundred and Twenty-four road projects at the same time. The projects have reached 70 percent completion level, adding that it would be better to complete those roads.
“If we get these roads working, Nigeria will get back to its feet.” He added that it would lead to ease of doing business in our ports, movement of energy and fuel across the country, leads to evacuation of goods from our ports and movement of agricultural goods across the country”, he explained.
Speaking during the National Assembly House of Representative Committee on Works interactive session, the Minister disclosed that no part of the country was left out in the road projects, but pointed out that the big problem was the ability to complete the on-going work on the roads because of funding constraint.
He therefore called on the legislators to join hands with the Ministry in adopting and supporting the policy statement of Mr. President on completing all on-going projects instead of starting new ones, stressing that, “completing them is what will impact the lives of Nigerians.”
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, House Committee on Works, Honourable Abubakar Kabir Abubakar stated the purpose of the interactive session was to find out what challenges the Ministry was facing and how to find solutions to them.
“We are not hear to interrogate anybody, but rather to work together to create a positive impact in the lives of Nigerians”, he said.
Stephen Kilebi
Deputy Director (Press)
