The Minister of Works and Housing Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola said Wednesday Nigerians should blame host communities for frustrating government efforts by demanding compensation which often resulted in cases of uncompleted projects across the country.
The minister said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja.
He said budget funding gaps also worked against completion of roads projects in the country in the last four years.
“Getting FEC approvals is one half of the story, but we don’t get all of the cash. Even the local communities are not helping issues. As we speak, some people are asking us to pay N10 billion now as compensation for the 2nd Niger bridge“There is a gap between infrastructure needs and income. People are also complaining that government is borrowing too much.
“We have heard that funds have been released, but we are yet to get anything. I have not received any money since I came to office, this time around,” he said.The minister also identified “obsolete rates, under budgeting and under funding” as major factors affecting completion of projects.
On the allegations by National Assembly that the ministry has about 20,000 abandoned projects, the minister said no such figures exist .“First of all, it is important we all speak the same language. There is a clear distinction between uncompleted and abandoned projects. First of all my ministry does not have 20,000 projects.
“The right question should be what are we doing about completing projects, one of the things we have done is finding out why projects are not completed.
“In some cases the rates have become obsolete so the price range has changed, cement price has changed, the change rate has changed, inflation has gone into the quantity it was awarded before it came. “So, we are trying to resuscitate some of those projects because we know that the contractors will not go back to work if the pricing is not right,” he said.The minister also disclosed that the Federal Executive Council has approved road projects worth N8.2 billion in some parts of the country.
He said council approved N519 million revision of contract sum of Oba Nnewi Okigwe road to cater for change in cost of materials since the project was awarded in 2009.
“The contract sum was revised from N3.7 to N4.3 billion. The council also approved the revised cost of N2.052 billion for 67 kilometers Alasi-Ugep road in Cross River state. The council approved a revision from N9.16 billion to 11.22 billion,” he said.He said council approved the change of contractor for the Chachangi bridge linking Takum and Wukari in Taraba state and re-awarded it at the cost of N2.132 billion. He said the council also approved Katsina Ala bridge at the cost of N3.576 billion, which include total bridge repairs, changing of expansion joints, changing of bearings and rehabilitation of the 3.2 kilometers access road at Ugbema junction in Benue state.
