ABUJA (Min of Works and Housing Report)- The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has stated that the number of roads seeking government’s attention for completion and rehabilitation, keeps increasing on daily basis, while the resources required to fix them, remained grossly inadequate.
Fashola disclosed this during an interactive session of the Senate Committee on Works, with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and its Agencies, recently.
The Minister described roads as an asset of any nation, and called on all stakeholders in the Works Sector to come up with a hard decision on prioritization of roads for completion and rehabilitation, on the basis of social and economic importance to Nigerians.
He maintained that it was the responsibility of his Ministry and its Agencies to ensure that the roads in Nigeria were in good condition and recommended the prioritization of major link roads across the states and the roads to the various sea and airports, across the country.
Babatunde Fashola expressed enthusiasm with the caliber of the Senators that constitute the Committee. He described them as capable and tested men of proven integrity, adding that with their support, the challenges on Nigerian roads would be defeated.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero who spoke earlier, stated that members of his Committee would collaborate with the Executive to do the needful in addressing the challenges in the Works sector.
As an option to address the funding challenge in the Works Sector, Senator Aliero suggested sourcing for funds through local and foreign investors, by compromising some of the major roads; he believes this would gradually reduce government involvement in road construction and allow the Ministry focus on being the regulator in line with what is obtainable in many countries in the world.
The Senator further expressed optimism that the government of President Mohammadu Buhari and the 9th Senate will deliver roads of international standard to the people of Nigeria and in no distant time, qualitative transformation in the Works Industry will be noticed.
Other members of the committee in attendance at the interactive session include, Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Ike Ekweremadu, Orji Uzor Kalu, Kashim Shetima, Kabiru Gaya and Danjuma Goje.
On the Minister’s entourage were the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar D. Aliyu, the Permanent Secretary, Mohammed Bukar and Directors of the Ministry.
Stephen Kilebi
DD (Press)
