The Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to reimburse the various states of the federation the money they expended on its behalf for the rehabilitation of some federal roads in their domains.
The minister said President Muhammadu Buhari had announced the intention of the Federal Government to raise bonds to fund the reimbursement of the states.
He, however, did not disclose the total amount being owed the states and when the money would be paid.
Fashola stated this during a courtesy visit to the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, at the Governor’s Office, Akure on Thursday.
According to him, the Federal Government has verified the claims of the various state governments regarding the repairs of federal roads in their domains and their requests for reimbursement.
The minister stated that arrangement had been concluded by the Federal Government to intervene in the Akure-Ikere-Ado Ekiti Expressway, which is in a deplorable condition, adding that work would continue on the reconstruction of the remaining part of the Benin-Ore-Ajebandele-Ijebu Ode road.
He said, “We are thinking along the request of the state governments. This is one of the 36 states, we have inherited deficits in the area of infrastructure accumulated at a time when the nation had resources to truly develop massive schemes.
“We have to deal with infrastructure at a time when our resources are perhaps half of what they were. While we are thinking about the reduction in the resources from our primary income source, we are simultaneously developing other income sources like agriculture, mining and so on and so forth.”
Responding, Akeredolu commended the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for committing more money into capital projects rather than spending on frivolities.
He appealed to the government to make the Ipele-Isua road in the state a dual carriage in order to make travelling from the West to the North faster and shorter.
The governor also asked the Federal Government to extend the reconstruction work of the Ilesha-Akure road to Owo and Benin so that the state could be linked properly to Edo State.
He also enjoined the government to help with public power supply to the Ondo South Senatorial District.
0 comments:
Post a Comment