Onuesoke criticizes FG approval of N621bn for NNPC to Construct 21 Federal Roads

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain and Former Delta State Gubernatorial Aspirant, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has faulted the Federal Government approval of N621bn for Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC for the construction and rehabilitation of twenty federal roads across the country.

The PDP chieftain, equally condemned the sharing patterns of the roads to be constructed between the North and Southern part of the country.

Recall that the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, approved the sum on Wednesday.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola who said the move was a strategic intervention under the Federal Government Road Infrastructure and Refreshment Tax Credit Scheme, further disclosed that the selected 21 roads cover 1804.6km.

Reacting to the development while responding to question from Airport Correspondent at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos yesterday, Onuesoke said it does not make sense for NNPC to spend N621.2bn tax liabilities on road projects, wondering where will the money now come from and how will they account for it?

The opinion leader queried: “If the NNPC is now so free to dip hands into the nation’s oil revenue and use funds generated for the nation and expend the funds to build roads rather than paying it into the nation’s account and allowing the Federal Ministry of Works to perform its constitutional role?

“It will appear smartly in their books again as a cost in year of expenditure. What is going on here? Road construction or reconstruction is for Ministry of Works and Housing. Lets borrow ourselves some sense. This is subject to plenty of fraud.

“If Ministry of Works and Housing needs money, they should collect from Treasury through budgeting not from NNPC. If NNPC wants to contribute to national development, let them pay tax and do CSR with transparency. Has the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) taken over the functions of the Federal Ministry of Work, “The PDP Chieftain who is among those clamoring for the privation of NNPC because of lack of performance, queried.

He said it is amazing that out of the 1804.6 kilometers of road to be constructed by NNPC, only 288.22 kilometers are allocated to the the South while 1,516.38 kilometers of roads will be built in the North.

“ This is nothing more than robbing Peter to pay Shehu. How justified is it to vote more than 70% of the funds for Northern roads? It is shocking that only two roads (114 kilometers) were selected in the South while nine roads (993.45 kilometers) were selected in the North Central alone. Using geopolitical zones to share what belongs to the South (oil) and allowing Northern states to sell their minerals for the benefits of their own people is just not acceptable.,” he stated.