TheNewsGuru

Tag: Federal Roads

  • FEC approves N148bn refund to six states for fixing federal roads

    FEC approves N148bn refund to six states for fixing federal roads

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the refund of N148, 141,987,161.25 to five states as the cash they disbursed in fixing federal roads in their domains.

    Information, Culture and Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed, who dropped the hint in a chat with State House reporters after Wednesday’s virtual FEC meeting, listed the beneficiaries as Cross River, Ondo, Osun, Bayelsa and Rivers states.

    The minister said the memo for the refund was presented by Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fasola.

    According to Mohammed, the virtual meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, considered claims of the five states in the approved memo.

    A breakdown of the refunds shows that Cross River will get N18,394,737,608.85; Ondo (N7,822,147,577.08); Osun (N2,468,938,876.78); Bayelsa (N38,040,564,783.40) and Rivers (N78,953,067,518.29).

    Mohammed, however, noted that the Council had warned that there would be no more of such refunds in future, should any state government venture into projects without first getting a mandate from the federal government.

    He said: “You will recall that in 2016, 36 states of the federation sent a very huge bill to the Federal Government, asking for compensation for money that they have expended on federal roads.

    “This prompted Mr. President to set up a committee to go and verify the claims of these 36 states, whether indeed these projects were actually constructed, were they completed, in line with the federal government standards.

    “At the end of that exercise by an inter-ministerial committee, chaired by the Honorable Minister of Works and Housing, but also had ministers of Education, Transportation, Finance, Minister of State for Works, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) Director-General and the Permanent Secretary of the Cabinet Office as members.

    “At the end of that exercise, the committee recommended that the federal government should refund N550,364,297.31 billion to 31 of the 36 states, after they were convinced that, yes indeed, the projects were completed and there were federal government roads.

    “But, the claims of five other states – Cross River, Rivers, Ondo, Bayelsa and Osun failed on the grounds that they did not do proper documentation and the committee felt they needed proper documentation.

    “So, the committee went back with new terms of reference to ensure that the claims of the five states were in order. That is why the BPP is on the committee. So, at the end of the exercise, the committee now reported that the five states – Cross River with 20 roads and one bridge will get a refund of N18,394,737,608.85, Ondo with six roads to get a refund of N7,822,147,577.08, and Osun with two roads and one bridge to get a refund of N2,468,938,876.78.

    “Others are Bayelsa with five roads and one bridge is to get a refund of N38, 040,564,783.40 and Rivers with three roads and three flyovers bridges is to get a refund of N78, 953,067,518.29.”

    The minister said the committees confirmed the roads and the bridges; that not only were they completed, they are in substantial good form, adding that some of the bridges and roads were built about 10 years ago.

    However, Mohammed said the FEC placed a caveat on similar circumstances as gave rise to the demand for refunds, saying “the Federal Government will pay the states but however, henceforth, if any state takes on federal road, it will not be paid, they will not get any refund.

    “Even if you want to pay from your own pocket, you will still need the permission of the federal government and it will be supervised by the federal ministry of works and housing.”

    He said the modalities of refund was being worked out, while payment would be made over a period of time, even as he said 31 states were earlier paid the sum of over N500 billion.

  • States will get refunds for expenditures on federal roads – Buhari

    …Commends security agencies for peace efforts in Zamfara

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday assured state governors of getting refunds for their efforts at fixing federal road networks in their domains.

    The President dropped the hint during his visit to Zamfara State after Governor AbdulAziz Yari’s request for the refund of the N56 billion being owed the state on federal road projects it executed.

    The President said he had directed Power, Works & Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola to compile all outstanding payments of refunds to the states that implemented federal projects to specifications.

    He expressed the hope that the refund would go a long way in addressing the security problems facing Zamfara state.

    Yari, who doubles as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), called for additional deployment of security personnel to the state to check incessant cases of armed banditry across 13 out of the 14 local government areas of the state.

    In a presentation, the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government (SSG), Prof. Abdullahi Mohammed, gave an overview of the security challenges in the state in the last eight years, resulting in loss of lives and property.

    According to him, the state has been witnessing three types of security crisis, namely cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom and reprisals attacks.

    The SSG explained that Zamfara State had identified eight major flashpoints and made a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to deploy more security in the state.

    House of Assembly speaker Sanusi Garba said a fact-finding committee inaugurated last year had enumerated the number of causalities recorded as a result of the activities of bandits in the state.

    Zamfara has witnessed cases of attacks by armed bandits with hundreds of innocent people killed and property worth billions of naira carted away or destroyed.

    The recent attack by bandits at Birane village in Zurmi Local Government area of the state left over 50 people dead.

    President directed security agencies to improve their strategies of intelligence gathering, surveillance and accuracy in deployments, and ensure that criminal activities were brought to an end across the country.

    Speaking during an interactive meeting with political leaders, traditional rulers, elders and victims of criminal attacks in Zamfara State, President Buhari assured all security agencies of improved conditions that will facilitate apprehending criminals that steal, maim and kill innocent Nigerians.

    He said: “As far as I am concerned, our security agencies have recorded some successes, but they need to do much more.

    “They are not to oppress anyone, but they have to gather and send intelligence and warnings when something is about to happen.’’

    The President commended the security agencies for eliminating a dreadful criminal, “Buhari general”, who had for many years initiated killings and destruction of properties.

    Before “Buharin-daji”, who calls himself a general, there was a criminal who killed many people and he was killed; “Buharin–daji’’ has followed him and others like them should also follow,’’ he added.

    The President said the threats to lives and properties will be significantly reduced with improved relations among community leaders, citizens and the security agencies.

    He said: “I have come here to commiserate with you over loss of lives and properties. We will continue to do our best to improve the security situation. However, those committing atrocities live with you.

    “Some of these people are not reported because you don’t trust the security outfits, instead you report back to the criminals. We should give priority to security,’’ he said.

    The President warned that the ongoing war against corruption would be reinvigorated and sustained until public officers, who abused their positions, faced the wrath of the law.

    He told the elders and traditional rulers that properties that had been confiscated by security outfits from some suspected corrupt public officials will be sold out, after the completion of court procedures.

    Buhari urged Nigerians to take advantage of the ongoing reforms in the agricultural sector, pointing that the era of depending on petrol will one day come to an end.

    On herdsmen attacks, the President said there was a need to revisit and review the old grazing area arrangements that guaranteed harmonious relationship between farmers and herdsmen, where differences were amicably resolved through the law without violence.

    Governor Yari said the state government had deployed resources that were initially designated for development into fighting criminal activities.

    The governor, who commended the security outfits for working hard to protect the state, pleaded with the Federal Government to improve the funding of operations, increase the number of security men working in the state and reimburse the state for monies spent on some Federal Government projects like roads, which he said was a major priority in fighting criminals.

    Listing the eight major flashpoints, the SSG that 1,321 lives had been lost since 2011, while 1,881 people sustained various injuries from attacks, with about N14 billion spent on fighting the menace.

    The traditional rulers, elders and leaders of the affected communities also pleaded with the government to ensure immediate security intervention in order to save lives.

    The President in company of his aides, landed at the Gusau helipad at about 10.40a.m after taking off from Umaru Musa Yar’Adua international airport in Katsina.

    Governors Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) some ministers, traditional and religious leaders, top government officials were among those that received the president.

    President Buhari reviewed a parade mounted by the Army and Air Force.

     

  • Hand over federal roads to states for efficient management, Tambuwal tells FG

    Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has appealed to the Federal Government to hand over federal roads in the country to state governments for effective management.

    He made the appeal when he received the Senate Committee on Works led by its Chairman, Kabiru Gaya, at the Government House in Sokoto late Monday night.

    “There is the need for the federal government to hand over the roads to states because state governments are closer to the people and we have more efficient methods of supervision. If this is done, it will go a long way in ensuring that the vast majority of major roads and highways in the country are well maintained,” he said.

    Mr. Tambuwal said Sokoto state government will continue to work with all those involved to ensure that the infrastructural development of Nigeria is given utmost attention.

    He equally solicited the support of the National Assembly to facilitate the reimbursement of the money the state government spent on the repairs of some federal roads in its domain.

    In his remarks, Mr. Gaya said they were in the state for the conduct of their oversight functions.

    He lauded Mr. Tambuwal’s efforts especially in the area of infrastructure development.

    Mr. Gaya also assured that his committee would facilitate the reimbursement of the funds used by the state government in construction federal roads.

    He thanked the governor for his commitment to see to the completion of the Sokoto-Jega-Yauri -Kontagora road which is currently under construction.

  • Senate approves removal of indiscriminate speed bumps on federal roads nationwide

    The Senate on Tuesday asked the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to remove all speed bumps illegally erected on Federal Government highways and ensure strict compliance using speed limits.

    The decision was based on the adoption of a motion jointly moved by Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue North-East) and Senator Stella Oduah (Anambra-North) at the plenary on Tuesday, entitled, ‘Urgent Need to Control the Indiscriminate Erection of Speed Bumps on Federal Roads Nationwide.’

    The Senate unanimously granted the prayers of the motion, including to “direct the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to remove all the speed bumps indiscriminately erected on the federal highways nationwide and regulate and standardise erection of all speed bumps.”

    The lawmakers also urged the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing to cause owners of petrol filling stations to build a service lane of not less than 50 metres on both sides of the stations to avoid customers turning directly to and from the highways.

    They also urged the ministry to enforce setback regulations for fixed structures along the highways and urged the planning authority to enforce regulations for motor parks, markets and places of worship.

    Moving the motion, Gemade said the Senate noted “with dismay” the thousands of speed bumps recently erected on almost all federal highways nationwide, ostensibly to control the speed of vehicles plying the roads.

    According to Gemade, some of the hazards posed by the bumps to vehicle owners are “accelerated wear and tear of the vehicles, loss of many hours in billions (of money) when quantified nationwide, and damage to vehicle suspension systems as most of these bumps are not professionally designed.”

    Seconding the motion, Senator Joshua Lidani said while Bauchi State had removed speed bumps from its roads, Nasarawa State still has many of them.

    “I think there is the need for these speed bumps to be removed. If they have to be installed, let it be done professionally,” he stated.

    However, some senators did not hide their displeasure at the decision. They noted that the erection of the speed bumps has helped reduced accidents and avoidable deaths while insisting that it’s removal would pose a great danger as there were communities, schools and businesses along the highways the bumps were erected.

     

  • Scarcity of funds not major challenge to completion of federal roads – Fashola

     

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola has said paucity of fund is not the major challenge to the completion of ongoing Federal Government’s road projects.

    Fashola spoke to reporters on Saturday in Port Harcourt after an inspection tour of ongoing road projects in the South-South zone.

    “There is no problem of paucity of fund on this road again; this road is now a function of man hours.

    “If you have all the money needed to construct this road, you would not finish it today.

    “So let us understand that these roads are built long and wide, and so will take years to be completed because roads are connecting several states.

    “As we are building, it will get better but funding is not going to be a problem on this road again because we make sure that the contractors are paid,” he said.

    He said the contractors handling the road projects would be paid based on presentation of certificate of performance.

    Fashola cautioned contractors against the use of budgetary provisions as excuse not to be on site, adding that the budget had not solved the problem in the past.

    “As at the time we had money, when a barrel of oil sold for 100 dollars, we did not take the issue of roads seriously, because the capital budget then used to be 15 per cent.

    “It is Buhari’s administration that is increasing capital budget to 30 per cent, which means that this government is taking the issue of roads seriously and that is why we are here.

    “Contractors are coming to site after three years of lay off and as you pay a contractor, you are invariably bring people back to work, and that is the commitment that I made,” he said.

    The minister expressed dismay over failure of the past administration to fund the projects it originated.

    “You heard the contractors saying they were not able to continue with the projects because funds were not released until December, 2016.

    “You also heard from all the sites we visited that contractors were not paid for three to four years and that was at a time we were having income of 100 dollars per barrel of oil.

    “People were laid off by the contractors, they could not continue the projects, so the foundation for the recession was built three years ago.

    “In spite of the fall in oil income, the Buhari government is now saying that whatever it will take, we must pay contractors and that is why they have all returned to site,” he added.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the projects visited by the minister during tour in Rivers were the Aba-Port Harcourt dual carriage way and the Bodo-Bonny bridge projects.

    The minister said the Bodo-Bonny bridge, when completed, would be the only road linking the people of Ogoni land to Bonny Island.

    He said the project was awarded several years ago but the contractor abandoned the site because it was not funded.

    He said the Federal Government made provision to finance the project in partnership with the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) in the 2017 budget proposal.

     

  • We’ll refund monies spent on federal roads, Fashola assures state govts

    Minister of Power,Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola says the Federal Government hopes to raise bonds to refund billions of naira used by state governments to repair federal roads.

    Fashola made this known in Enugu on Saturday, when he paid a courtesy call on Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi before he inspected federal roads under construction in the state.

    He said that the Federal Government had assessed claims by state governments that invested on such road projects, adding that plans were being made to refund the money.

    “We have also been briefed about your intervention on certain federal roads.

    “My message from the Federal Government is that we have completed the assessment of all these claims and our plan is to issue bonds to pay those money and then we pay the bonds back over time,” he stated.

    The minister appealed to state government to assist contractors handling federal roads in their state to secure the right of way, adding that the contractors had mobilised to sites.

    Responding, the governor who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Cecelia Ezeilo, appealed to the Federal Government to refund the more than N25 billion the state expended on the rehabilitation of federal roads across the State.

    Ugwuanyi said that the people of the state had continued to suffer untold hardship as a result of the deplorable conditions of the roads.

    He said that the neglect of the federal roads in the South East, especially in Enugu, necessitated the intervention of the state government.

    “The people of the state, and indeed the entire South East region, have for long suffered untold hardship arising from the collapse of most of the federal roads.

    “This of course, has been a great cause for concern for us as a people and has continued to attract comments and complaints from well meaning citizens and organisations across the country and even beyond,” he said.

    He said that the refund would assist the state settle other critical areas of needs.

    Ugwuanyi assured the Federal Government of his administration’s readiness to assist in obtaining right of ways to facilitate work on the roads.