Abuja – Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has said failed roads and the attendant effect it has on the transportation system were not peculiar challenges to Nigeria alone.
Fashola who was reacting to criticism on the federal government regarding the deplorable state of roads in Nigeria and measures to make them motorable ahead of the yuletide said many factors ranging from poor budgetary provisions to government bureaucracy affect the delivery of critical infrastructures, especially roads.
He gave this impression while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council meeting, chaired by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
According to the Minister, there has never been adequate budgetary provisions for infrastructures in the past two decades, and in most cases, capital releases are never fully made to carry-out successful road projects.
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He made efforts to exonerate the government, saying there was not much that could be done when natural factors such as the rainy season set in.
Meanwhile, FEC approved the contract for the construction of Bida-Sachi-Nupeko road and the Nupeko-Patigi bridge across River Niger, linking Nupeko and Patigi in Niger and Kwara State.
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The Minister noted that the project was to link Niger and Kwara together and facilitate connectivity from southwest to the north-central and the north of Nigeria.
Fashola said it is an old contract that was awarded in 2013, terminated for none performance, revaluated. It didn’t have a bridge then.
“We have added the bridge now, approved for N58.488 billion and is expected to take 30 months,”he noted.
