The Senate on Wednesday approved the movement of funds from Education and Health ministries for the expansion of the Abuja Airport and Zuba-Abuja City expressways to a 10-lane dual carriage from the current four-lane way. Despite stiff opposition from the lawmakers, the Senate Committee on FCT, chaired by Abubakar Sodangi, noted that the funds for the two sectors could not have been expended before the end of the year. Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts, Ahmed Lawani said "while supporting this, I want to make some observations. Education and health services are very basic and essential and cannot wait. We cannot afford to wait till 2010 budget. Senator James Manager, in his assertion, noted that "there is already N6 billion provided in the 2009 Budget for road projects. How much of the N6 billion has been used for down payment that you need an additional N25 billion. I don't think it is wise to remove money from education and health." The Senate Deputy Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba while supporting the expansion of the two roads, expressed dismay at the source from which the money was being drawn.
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