The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said that the Federal Government will not refund any state that rehabilitates or reconstructs roads belonging to the Federal Government.
The Minister, a former Governor of Lagos State said bills presented by State Governors for road repairs was too high – running into about N500 billion.
Speaking in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State while commissioning four township roads executed by the Chairman of Toyota Nigeria Limited, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo at the weekend, Fashola also said that he was misquoted on the claim that federal roads in the country were not as deplorable as portrayed in the media.
The Minister said while speaking on the state of the federal roads, he did not, at any point in time, use the word ‘exaggeration’.
It would be recalled that the minister had on Wednesday in Abuja at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting said Nigeria’s road surfaces were not as deplorable as the public have made them to be.
Fashola said contrary to insinuations on social media, he had travelled round the country on roads to assess the condition of federal roads.
He said the Federal Government would fix its bad roads based on its priority.
“Let me start from the journey by roads to the 36 states, 12 hours everyday, so I know what I saw, and I also said what I wanted to say in that press conference, and thankfully, I must thank your TV Channels, at least, showing the maturity and the professionalism responsibility to play the whole tape, so people can see the context of what I said,” he said.
“I didn’t use the word ‘exaggerated’, I didn’t say that. Please go and listen to what I said, thank you.”
The minister commended Ade-Ojo for his giant strides, stressing that government can not do everything and urged Nigerians to emulate the good works of the businessman.
Ade-Ojo said he was elated that another development effort has been successfully completed.
The founder, Elizabeth University charged other well-meaning Nigerians to give back to their society for posterity sake.
