Press Release
June 24, 2017

Budget 2017: Fashola Should Stop Spreading Half-Truths, Says Senate

The Senate has cautioned Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, to stop spreading wrong information and half-truth about the 2017 budget as the legislators worked to ensure equity across the country on all new and outstanding projects.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate noted that Mr. Fashola did not give members of the public full details about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which has been on a private finance initiative from the beginning because he would prefer an arrangement that allows the Ministry to continue to award contracts and fund the project through Government budgetary allocation at a time when the nation’s revenue is dwindling and at an all time low.

BIAFRA: Osibanjo Has No Magic To Stop Agitation – Archishop

Abdullahi stated that the Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Federal Executive Council in 2013, approved the reconstruction, rehabilitation and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway as a Public Private Partnership project using the Private Finance Initiative, with the Federal Government providing about 30 percent of the funding while the balance shall be provided by the private sector. The project was on course for completion by end of 2017 when the private finance initiative was being implemented, with over 30 percent completion rate attained as at early 2015.

Abdullahi further noted that in a blatant disregard for existing agreements, constituted authorities and extant laws, Fashola on assumption of office got Government through the Ministry to start voting money for the implementation of the project. “Even as at last year the 2016 Appropriation Act voted N40 billion for the project on the insistence of the Ministry and only N26 billion was released. If we had known, the rest N14 billion could have been allocated to other critical roads across the country”, he said.

“In the spirit of consensus building and effective stakeholder engagement, the Leadership of the Senate met with key relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Works and finance. It was agreed that we should give the Private Finance Initiative a chance to complement Government’s resources in the delivery of critical infrastructure assets across the country. Hence, in this year’s budget, we have engaged with the Government and private sector groups who have assured that they will resume funding of the project. So, we only provided the fund in the budget that would ensure work does not stop before the funds from the private sector start coming in .What we reduced from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the 2017 budget estimate was spread on Oyo-Ogbomoso road in the South-west, Enugu-Onitsha road in the South-east, and two other critical roads in the North-east and North-west; and this was done to achieve equity. The Minister should realize he is Minister for the entire country and not just that of Lagos State. “It is our view that the Federal Government cannot fund the reconstruction and maintenance of all the 34,000 kilometers of roads under its care. We are looking for private funds for some of these roads, particularly those with high potentials of attracting private investors.

Watch Hilarious Videos On The MTVBASE VJ Search

These include the Enugu-Onitsha road, Kano-Abuja road and Abuja-Lokoja road. It has been our hope that the Lagos -Ibadan road would be a model for private sector funding of infrastructure in the country”, the spokesman stated.

He added that Fashola knew that Federal Government cannot fully fund this road for completion by 2019 as he is promising Nigerians. “It’s deceit of the highest order. Just going by the last two years of funding where an average of about N30b per-annum was released then the nation would have to wait for the next six years for completion of the work .But with Private sector Finance Initiative, this project can be completed on time because full funding will be provided and there will be more certainty”, he stated.


.....READ FULL STATEMENT ON http://www.naaija.com/2017/06/budget-2017-fashola-stop-spreading-half-truths-says-senate/

Lalasticlala, mynd44, OAM4J

k

Always knew Fashola was a liar.

NASS should give us the 2nd half truth so we can have a full truth...


By the way, NASS position is the reason why we have abandoned and half-baked projects.

If the private funds are not ready, why not finish one before jumping to the other?

The last time I checked, road construction work is not like setting blocks. If you set some blocks and leave it there for a long time, you are likely going to meet it the way you left it except for dusts and the rest.

But for construction, once you leave it for sometime, you come back and spend more because it would surely deteriorate. For some you start again.

Let's learn to do fine jobs conclusively

...love the part that the Senate spokesman said : "that Fashola should know that he's the minister of Nigeria and not that of Lagos State ".I know that Fashola is a regional tribalist and the spokesman has proven it once again.

If the energy Fashola is harping on seeing the completion of Lagos-Ibadan road in other to satisfy his people are also used in other roads across the country then Nigeria could have been a beautiful place. Say no to tribalism!!!!

wallex1983:
NASS should give us the 2nd half truth so we can have a full truth...


By the way, NASS position is the reason why we have abandoned and half-baked projects.

If the private funds are not ready, why not finish one before jumping to the other?

The last time I checked, road construction work is not like setting blocks. If you set some blocks and leave it there for a long time, you are likely going to meet it the way you left it except for dusts and the rest.

But for construction, once you leave it for sometime, you come back and spend more because it would surely deteriorate. For some you start again.

Let's learn to do fine jobs conclusively

Did you read where the NASS said the project was 30% complete with private sector funding and was on course for 2017 completion before the misadventure of Fashola and APC.