National
FG bans States from repairing deplorable federal roads
The Federal Government has said no state should intervene in its owned roads irrespective of their deplorable condition.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, while giving details of what transpired at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, at the State House, Abuja.
It was learnt that the multiple refund demands by states after intervention may have spurred council to approve the decision for states to desist from such intervention.
According to the minister, FEC approved that three states, Kebbi, Taraba and Yobe, be refunded the amount spent on repairing federal roads in their domains, especially as such contracts were awarded prior to the inception of the current administration.
Meanwhile, the latest directive from the presidency comes as many federal roads are in deplorable conditions across the country owing partly to the rainy seasons and heavy duty vehicles plying such roads.
Beyond this directive, Fashola said contract was awarded for the reconstruction of the Mushin-NNPC-Apapa-Oshodi road, the road that goes through Isolo to Ejigbo, at the sum of N11,166,270,197.85 to Strabic Construction Company, with a completion period of 20 months.
Commenting on the ban, he said, “Council approved the report and recommendation of a Council committee set up by the president in order to respond to demands by state governments for refunds on intervention made previously before this administration on federal roads”.
“There were some that had been done before the life of this administration. So there were three states, Kebbi, Yobe and Taraba. I think on the 22nd of June, I reported that the claims for Yobe for N18.663 billion were approved. That left for those of Kebbi and Taraba states. So today council approved N6.706 billion for Kebbi State and N2.470 billion for Taraba State.”
