By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola, Minister for Power, Works and Housing says the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration has created hope in the lives of Nigerians by reviving works on abandoned projects.
According to the Minister, a number of projects were left uncompleted before the inception of the current administration in 2015.
” Buhari’s government revived the contract that were stopped.”
Speaking to reporters Friday in Sokoto on the sidelines of a 2-Day retreat organised for top officials of the three Ministries under his watch, Fashola noted that the contracts were stopped due to paucity of funds.
” If a contractor does not get paid, there is magic to get the work completed. He will have no alternative than to stop.”
The Minister explained that the current government has no alternative than to resort to the best option of borrowing to complete such projects of economic importance to the wellbeing and development of he country.
Fashola said Nigerians should not blame the government on the slow phase of work rather should tailor their dissatisfaction against their representatives who were elected to serve them.
” They are guilty of the slow phase of work. They shut the NASS session for to months and delayed the passage of budget for close to 9 months.
“You don’t expect the work that would have been done in decades to be completed within 3 and a half years”, he pointed out.
He added that”we have to borrow through the Ministry of Finance and invest in on road to enhance productivity, reduce journey, cost and time for business in order to generate income and wealth creation to payback the loans.
He noted that a growing economy was a rewarding economy, pointing out that” those who complain we borrow too much should tell us where else to find funds. We are not raising tax and if we do, they will still complain.”
The Minister further defended the government on allegations that certain section of the country was suffering deficit of federal government projects especially in the Northwest saying that” no part of the country is not considered in the provision of infrastructure.
” We have considered and work on the Jega-Sokoto, Sokoto-Illela, UDUS road as well Abuja- Kaduna- Zaria-Kano and Jigawa roads respwctively in the Northwest.”
He noted that road accidents and other risks would have been a thing of the past when such projects were completed.
According to Fashola” the FRSC must also ensure the enforcement of traffick regulations especially speed monitoring and reckless driving among motorists particularly commercial vehicles.
” Though, records have shown that number of accidents, injuries and fatality are fast reducing monthly due to gradual change in our driving behaviours and our commitment to addressing the conditions of the roads”, he explained.