Babatunde Raji Fashola, the current Minister of Works and Housing has said that Nigerian roads are not as bad as people paint them.
He made this statement while addressing newsmen afther the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Fashola said the stumbling block between government and the execution of most awarded road projects, is funds. The former Lagos state Governor said, he is often misquoted. Explaining further, that if he discloses a certain amount has been approved for road construction, it does not mean the funds have been released to contractors.
“The roads are not as bad as they are often portrayed. I know that this is going to be your headline, but the roads are not that bad,” he said.
“When I come here to announce that a particular amount was approved for a contract that doesn’t mean the amount has been paid contrary to what you suggest.
“You are mindful also that minister of finance, different arms of government are escalating the fiscal challenges we face as a nation in trying to fund the budget.
“You are also mindful that the last few budgets in Nigeria for almost 20 years have been deficit budgets and these are terminologies that are realities and I think we should acquaint ourselves with if we are not just to report the news but also educate the public.
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“You must also be aware that between awarding a contract and also mobilizing to the site there is a distance. First of all, we have to have an agreement that is the relationship between the ministry of works or any other ministry and the ministry of justice, then there is a role that banks play, they have to give a guarantee.
“Building materials – rocks, laterite, quarry, iron rods have to be ordered, construction companies don’t keep them.
“The process of producing blasting rocks requires approval from the office of ministers of justice and even the office of the NSA to get approval to get dynamite. All of these are the things that go on. So the point that I am making to you is that there is a distance between approval, implementation, actual construction and the result.”