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  • Fashola tackles ExecuJet for linking him to Naira Marley’s flight

    Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has lambasted private aircraft charter operator, Executive Jet Services, for linking him to the flight which took singer, Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley, to Abuja over the weekend.

    The singer, alongside ex-Big Brother Naija housemate, Kim Oprah, and eight others boarded the company’s flight in violation of travel ban which resulted in the suspension of the firm’s licence by the Federal Government on Monday.

    After the federal government suspended the airline, the Chairman/CEO of the company, Sam Iwuajoku, wrote in a letter dated June 15 and addressed to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to apologise for the violation, saying he thought the flight was booked for the minister.

    However, Fashola, in a statement on Tuesday by his spokesman, Hakeem Bello, said it was ‘ridiculous’ to link him to the flight.

    The statement read: “For purposes of clarity and in order to set the records straight, the Hon. Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has not travelled out of Abuja since March 22, 2020, when he returned there after an inspection tour of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway construction work and a visit to Lagos, before the lockdown.

    “The decision of the Hon. Minister not to travel was taken in strict compliance with the Federal Government’s ban on inter-state travels as part of efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “It is therefore ridiculous for Dr Iwuajoku to attempt to link the Hon. Minister with any noncompliant flight.”

  • PROBLEMATIC NAMESAKE: We mistook Naira Marley’s ‘Fashola’ for Minister of Works – Executive Jets

    PROBLEMATIC NAMESAKE: We mistook Naira Marley’s ‘Fashola’ for Minister of Works – Executive Jets

    Executive Jet Services Limited has explained why it operated the sanctioned flight that flew popular musician, Azeez Fashola also known as Naira Marley from Lagos to Abuja.

    The airline said it operated the flight because it thought the name on the manifest was for the Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola and his men.

    The explanation came after Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika announced the suspension of the operation of the airline indefinitely.

    The Federal Government gave approval to the airline to fly Hon. Justice Adefope Okojie from Lagos to Abuja and back to Lagos for an official assignment.

    The airline, in a letter by its chairman, Dr. Sam Iwuajoku and addressed to the Minister on June 15, apologized for its action.

    The letter was titled: “Re: Flight for 13/06/2020 done by Executive Jets Services Ltd. to Abuja.”

    It reads in part: “We hereby apologise for the above flight with your permit ref: FMA/ATMD/0175/ V/V/ 1268 dated 11th June, 2020.

    “Please the flight was to carry a Judge to Abuja on Sunday 14th, 2020 as requested and the permit was granted based on the application, but unfortunately when I called the Judge on Saturday morning to inform him that we have the permit, he then said that he has reached Abuja already with a different flight that someone gave him a lift to Abuja.

    “So on Saturday morning 13th June 2020 my staff called me that they have a charter flight to Abuja and that the passengers are already in the lounge.”

    The letter continues: “As a rule, passenger manifest is always sent to me before any departure. When I went through the manifest and I saw Fashola Babatunde I thought it was the Honorable Minister of Works going to Abuja with his men, so we decided to do the flight since is a serving minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I didn’t know that it was a bunch of useless people.

    “We are very sorry for this mistake and we promise that this would not happen again.”

    The airline also attached a passenger manifest for the flight. The names on the manifest are; Adewunmi Segun, Fashola Adeshina, Chinonso Opara, Fashola Babatunde, Adeyeye Tobi, Micheal Opeyemi, Idowu Emmanuel, Seyi Awonuga, Wisdom Intoto, and Abayomi Akin.

    The crew members are: Captain Adebiyi, First Officer; Sarin and Cabin Assistant; Ramat

  • FG steadily bridging infrastructural gap across Nigeria – Fashola

    The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday said that the gap of infrastructural needs on major highways in the country is steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repairs, renewal and construction.

    He stated this on Tuesday while commissioning a 0.69 kilometer road rehabilitated, and a 0.4 kilometer concrete-lined drain constructed by the ministry inside University of Benin, Edo state.

    Fashola who was represented at the event by the Federal Controller of Work in Edo State, Engr. Oke Owhe, disclosed that the federal government has completed 18 out of the 43 road interventions within tertiary institutions across the country.

    He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has stepped up the process of getting infrastructural work done.

    “There are 43 interventions in roads within tertiary institution across Nigeria, 18 has been completed.

    “Today, we hand over this one in University of Benin, Edo state, as a critical contribution to support education,” he said.

    On his part, UNIBEN Vice Chancellor, Prof Lilian Salami, who was represented by Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin), Ikponwomsa Omoruyi, commended the federal government for the intervention towards the development of the institution.

    She said the institution believed that through partnership, the nation could achieve quality education.

  • Alex Eyengho blasts Fashola over Nollywood movies, money rituals, kidnaping

    Alex Eyengho blasts Fashola over Nollywood movies, money rituals, kidnaping

    Vice President (Africa) of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), Comrade Alex Eyengho, has put a lie to the claim by former Lagos State Governor and Nigeria’s current Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, that Nollywood movies are promoting money rituals and encouraging kidnappings.

    According to the award-winning filmmaker who was only December 2019 inducted into the prestigious ‘Nigerian Movie Rock of Fame’ of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), the Minister seems not to have a clear understanding of the workings of the Nigerian motion picture industry (Nollywood) or its contents, adding that the statement was not based on any shred of fact but mere hasty generalization.

    Eyengho said: “I have enormous respect for His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola, particularly his intellect and administrative acumen. However, he was manifestly off the track in this statement credited to him. Perhaps he would have been right if his claim was talking about some Nollywood movies. I don’t like sweeping statements. The truth here is that his generalization is hasty and untrue. I would perhaps be more comfortable if he had said some, and indeed go ahead to back up the statement with fact in terms of percentage of Nollywood films he watched, say within a year that promotes rituals and kidnappings.”

     

    “Nollywood practitioners operate within the ambit of the law and various layers of Government regulatory agencies, with the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) as the Chief gatekeeper of Nollywood movies and the final movie contents the public see eventually. Will the NFVCB okay for release any such films that promote rituals and kidnappings? Assuming but without conceding to the claim, is Mr. Fashola’s statement not clearly an indictment on NFVCB as per its primary responsibility?,” Eyengho queried.

    According to the filmmaker and politician, the kind of films Mr. Fashola is talking about may be true about Nollywood 20 years ago, even as he posited that there was nothing wrong with shooting films about ritual, kidnapping and other crimes, as long as it is properly told, censored and appropriately classified by the NFVCB.

    “Most films are reflection of the society we live in. I don’t know of any film here in Nigeria that sets out to glorify crimes such as rituals, kidnappings, 419, internet scam (yahoo yahoo) etc. What matters in such thematic films is the message and resolution at the end of the film. If for instance it ends with severe punishments for those involved in such crimes, then there is nothing wrong with it because such films are meant to correct the ills of our society and to serve as deterrent,” Eyengho stated.

  • EFCC arraigns man for impersonating, defrauding Fashola

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned one Malik Wakili for allegedly impersonating the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), and defrauding the minister to the tune of N3,106, 216.

    Wakili, who was arraigned on a three-count charge before Justice C.J. Aneke of a Federal High Court, Lagos, was said to have allegedly committed the offence in March this year.

    The EFCC told the court that Wakili conspired with one Abdullahi Umar, said to be at large, “to fraudulently impersonate Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), with intent to gain monetary advantage for yourselves.”

    According to the EFCC, the defendant “converted the total sum of N3,106,216, being the value of the Air-Miles Skywards Account Number EK248739282 of Mr Babatunde with the Emirate Airline and which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity, to wit: fraud.”

    The prosecution said Wakili acted contrary to sections 15(2)(a) and 27(1)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and was liable to be punished under sections 15(3) and 22(3)(a) of the same Act.

    The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the three counts brought against him.

    Justice Aneke adjourned the case till December 17 to rule on the bail application filed on behalf of the defendant by his lawyer, Eubena Anedu.

    The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Uduak Kufre, did not oppose the bail application.

    He urged the judge to impose conditions that would ensure that the defendant attend his trial.

    The judge ordered that Wakili should be remanded in the prison custody pending the ruling on his bail application.

  • [Full List] FG undertaking 524 highways, bridge projects nationwide – Fashola

    [Full List] FG undertaking 524 highways, bridge projects nationwide – Fashola

    The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has updated the Federal Executive Council on the ongoing road and bridge construction/rehabilitation projects nationwide, highlighting 80 of them as priority projects scheduled for completion in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

    Fashola, who gave the updates in a presentation he made before the Council, said a total of 524 road and bridge projects were currently going on across the country, adding that every State in the Federation, including the FCT has at least three such ongoing projects.

    He listed those on priority to include 27 financed with Sovereign SUKUK Fund, 47 scheduled for substantial completion in 2020/2021 and other priority projects, two roads leading to the ports and four major bridges.

    Giving reasons for the prioritization of the 80 projects, the Minister who explained that it would improve the ease of doing business in the country, declared, “The projects on completion will bring about reduced travel time, lower vehicle operating costs and improve the comfort of road users as well as improve the ease of doing business in the country and ultimately boost the Nigerian Economy”.

    He noted that Federal roads and bridges (categorized from A1 to A9) are major arterial routes that connect all states in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory, adding that the routes and bridges linked cities with high economic activities and carried majority of Heavy Goods Vehicles which gradually dispersed through the link routes to different parts of the country.

    The Minister listed the roads to include Lagos-Ibadan-Ilorin-Jebba-Kotangora-Jega-Sokoto-Niger Border as A1; Warri-Benin-Lokoja-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano-Daura-Niger Border as A2; Port Harcourt-Aba-Umuahia-Okigwe-Oturkpo-Makurdi-Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Maiduguri-Gamboru as A3 and Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja-Katsina Ala-Jalingo-Yola-Bama-Maiduguri as A4.

    Also listed are Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta-Ibadan as A5; Onitsha-Ihiala-Owerri—A.3 Junction at Umu Uyo as A6; Chikanda, Kosubosu-Kaiama-Kishi-Ilorin as A7; Mayo Belwa-Ganye-Serti-Mayo Selbe-Gembu as A8 and Jibiya-Katsina-Kano as A9.

    Prioritized road projects being funded through the Sovereign SUKUK Fund, Fashola said, include Abuja-Abaji Road(Section 1,International Airport Link Road Junction-Sheda Village Junction), Abuja-Lokoja Road Section IV (Koton Karfi-Lokoja), Dualisation of Obajana Junction-Benin Phase 2: Section 1 (Obajana Junction to Okene) , Construction of Oju/Loko-Oweto Bridge to Link Loko and Oweto with approach roads, Reconstruction of Bida-Lambata Road in Niger State and Dualization of Suleja-Minna Road Phase 11 in Niger State.

    They also include Kano-Maiduguri Road (Section ii, iii and iv), rehabilitation of outstanding section of Onitsha-Enugu Expressway: Amansea- Enugu State Border, Dualization Of Obajana Junction-Benin Phase 2: (Section ii, iii and iv), Rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt Road Section iv: Aba-Port Harcourt, and Dualization Of Yenegwe Road Junction-Kolo-Otuoke-Bayelsa Palm (20km).

    Others include Dualization of Ibadan-Ilorin (Section ii) in Oyo State, reconstruction of the outstanding Sections of Beni-Ofosu-Ore-Ajebandele-Shagamu Expressway Phase iii, pavement strengthening and asphalt overlay of Ajebandele- Ijebu Ode-Shagamu Road in Ogun State.

    Some of the projects scheduled for substantial completion in 2020/2021 and other priority projects, according to the Minister, include rehabilitation of Alesi-Ugep (Iyamoyung-Ugep) Section in Cross River State, construction of Yenegwe-Okaki-Kolo-Nembe-Brass Road and completion of rehabilitation of Ada-Okere-Ukoni-Amedokhiom Old Road, Uromi, Edo State.

    Also included are the rehabilitation of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene Road in (Section i) and Odukpani-Itu Bridge Head in Cross River State, construction of Bodo-Bonny Road with a bridge across the Opobo Channel, in Rivers State, rehabilitation of Odukpani Junction-Akpet Central Section of Calabar-Ikom-Ogoja Road in Cross River State, rehabilitation of Oshogbo-Ilesha Road in Osun State, Dualization of Abeokuta-Ibadan Road, and reconstruction of Apapa-Wharf Road in Lagos State, among others.

    The four bridges under the priority projects are construction of Ibi Bridge, completion of construction of Chanchangi Bridge along Takum-Wukari Road in Taraba State, construction of Ikom Bridge in Cross River State and emergency rehabilitation/maintenance of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, while the two roads leading to ports are the construction of Agaie-Katcha-Barro Road in Niger State and construction of Baro Port to Gulu Town in Niger State.

    The brief also provided a detailed record of ongoing road and bridge projects in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

    Some of the tertiary institutions where the Ministry is currently intervening on roads, according to the report, include the University of Benin where work is ongoing on the rehabilitation and Asphalt Overlay/Construction of Reinforced Concrete Drains and Kerbs and Asphatic Surfacing of three Car parks of 1.1KM Internal Road.

    Similar work include the ongoing Rehabilitation and Asphalting at Bayero University, Kano State, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, University of Maiduguri, in Borno State, Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, Federal College of Education, Katsina, Katsina State, Federal University of Technology, Owerri and the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.

    Others include Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State, Internal Road at Federal University Gashua, Yobe State and rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of 2.3 km Internal Road at Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, among others.

    The Minister, however, told Council that in order to accomplish the objective of completing the prioritized projects in scheduled time, an additional N255.6 billion would be needed to close the funding gap for the projects, pointing out that the amount was the difference between the appropriation for the project in the 2020 Budget, which stands N157.05 billion and the actual estimate for the completion of the projects which stands at N412.64 billion.

  • Why we cannot complete road projects – FG

    Why we cannot complete road projects – FG

    The federal government has attributed its inability to complete ongoing road projects to paucity of funds.

    Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola stated this on Friday.

    Fashola noted that while the number of roads seeking government’s attention for completion and rehabilitation keeps increasing on daily basis “the resources required to fix them remained grossly inadequate”.
    He spoke at an interactive session of the Senate Committee on Works with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and its agencies.

    He maintained that it was the responsibility of his Ministry and its agencies to ensure that the roads in Nigeria were in good condition, adding that “the inability to complete the various road projects across the country was as a result of inadequate budget and release of funds”.

    Describing roads as national assets of any nation, Fashola called on all stakeholders to come up with hard decisions on making prioritisation of roads for completion and rehabilitationon the basis of social and economic importance to Nigerians.

    The Minister recommended the prioritisation of major link roads across the states and the roads to the various sea and airports across the country.
    Fashola expressed optimism that with the calibre of the Senators that constituted the Committee on Works, the challenges on Nigerian roads would be overcome.

  • Give us employment slots after Buhari deploys you, Tinubu begs Fashola

    Senator Oluremi Tinubu representing Lagos Central Senatorial district on Monday, urged a ministerial nominee, Babatunde Raji Fashola, to accommodate Senators’ plea for employment slots to their constituents.
    The female lawmaker remarked that she hadn’t asked for employment slots in Fashola’s Works and Power Ministry in the last administration, but said all Senators should be considered this time.
    “Mr. nominee, all of us here have our Constituents back home looking for employment opportunities and I want you to consider our request when you get to office.
    “In your last administration, I did not look for employment slots for my Constituents, but this time, we all need you to consider us.”
    For over an hour, the former Lagos governor and Minister for Works, Housing and Power in the last administration, was overwhelmed with questions bordering on his Ministry in the last administration.
    Senators, who asked questions, were unanimous in their concern over the collapse of road infrastructure and housing deficit across the country.
    Senator Lillian Ekwunife (Anambra) lamented that Federal roads in Anambra have collapsed completely, saying that a ” journey of one hour takes four hours.”
    She revealed that she was almost looking for a chopper to airlift her to a function which held at Awka, Anambra state capital, on Saturday due to heavy traffic occasioned by bad roads.

  • Ministerial screening: Senate grills Fashola

    The Senate on Monday grilled former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola who appeared before the upper chamber to be screened for a ministerial position.
    Over 25 senators, out of the over 50 who wanted to ask questions, were allowed to grill Fashola, who was the immediate past Minister of Works, Power and Housing.
    For over an hour, Fashola was busy engaging the senators who asked several questions rather than the usual take a bow and go.
    Fashola, during his screening answered questions on power generation in Nigeria, infrastructure, among others.
    He said Nigerians were benefitting from off-grid power.
    “While we were managing the grid, we changed Nigeria’s conversation from off-grid power to on-grid power and for the first time, Nigerians are now talking about and benefitting from off-grid power,” he said.

  • Fashola speaks on 20m housing deficit, other sectoral challenges

    Fashola speaks on 20m housing deficit, other sectoral challenges

    …says 10 percent equity contribution to NHF has removed

    Minister for Works, Housing and Power Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday dismissed insinuations that Nigeria has five million housing deficit.

    He conceded that Nigeria has housing challenges, but added that housing challenges are universal phenomenal.

    The minister told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital at the end of a capacity building workshop for Federal Controllers of lands and housing in the country.

    The theme of the training is “learning and development for greater stature.”

    Mr. Fashola revealed that the ministry had removed the mandatory 10 percent equity contribution before accessing loan from the National Housing Funds (NHF).

    He said: “First of all I don’t believe that 20 million housing deficit number. Nobody has owned up to it. It is a number of no origin, I say so. So the person who did that data should come up and take ownership of it.

    “But that is not to say that there is no housing challenge. We have it, every country in the world has it. Its level and degree is a function of so many things. It is perhaps, more pronounced in the urban centres as it is in the rural areas. But even in the urban centres there are still empty houses even where there is a problem of shelter.

    “What we are doing is to try and complete ongoing projects that we met. We have started our own national housing programme. The idea is to design a product that Nigerians accept and can afford. One of the reasons why we have a number of empty buildings and houses is that some of these buildings are acceptable or are not affordable or both.

    So we are trying to create a model that will be acceptable for the people. “Some of the other thing we are doing is to grant funding for people who contribute to the National Housing Fund (NHF) by way of mortgage. That is happening. We are improving access by reducing the amount you have to contribute. Those who wanted to borrow up to five million naira for example, their equity contribution was about 10 percent.

    “We know that some people will not have N500,000 to contribute and deposit, we have removed that. They can borrow and what they should have contributed is now capitalized into what they will pay.

    “That opens the door of access. You are not denied because you did not have the fund to self-contribute. We have also reduced the amount of which you are borrowing five million Naira and above from 15 percent down to about 10 percent.”

    On consents and title documentation, the minister said that “we are also dealing with backlogs of title documenting and transactions, such consent to transact land. This is also a barrier to access. If you cannot finish the documentation, you might probably not get the funding. If you don’t have the title you might also be denied access to funding.

    “So we have those backlogs of consent and certificate of occupancy (C of Os). As at April 19th this year, we signed 2,400 certificates of occupancy, we issued 1,214 consents to transact business on land.

    These are things, some of which have been pending since the 1990s. We are attacking housing challenge in many fronts.”

    On the power to revoke the licenses of DISCOs, he said: “The power to regulate DISCOs rests with the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) not in the ministry. It is a power vested by law, so the ministry cannot interfere with that power. It is a statutory power. The ministry is only saddled with policy directive which I have given in documents, letters and all of that. Don’t forget that before the privatization, the ministry had well over 50,000 staff. The staff strength of the ministry is now 779.