SAN FRANCISCO, February 10, (THEWILL) – Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, on Wednesday, declared to the Senate Committee on works that his ministry’s was different from the norm.
Appealing to the committee not to tamper with the proposed budget, Fashola
explained that the objective of his ministry is to ensure that ongoing projects in the six geopolitical zones of the country are completed within the shortest possible time.
“I am proposing something new but we are not inflexible about what we are proposing and as l have said in my previous meetings with the chairman and the vice-chairman, give us a chance, to change the way things have been done, then hold us responsible to the plan that we mutually agree with,” he said.
He revealed that economic roads, which will ensure connectivity between hubs of commerce and generate employment, roads bearing the heaviest traffic and those nearing completion are on the priority of his ministry over the next three budget cycles.
“Mr Chairman, we have brought a plan to you, it is different from what has been done before. The purpose of that plan is to address first, economic roads like the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos – Ibadan Express way, the Ilorin – Jebba road so that, a section at least can be completed.
“It is perhaps different from what has been done before, and if we have done this budget method where we put X naira in the budget and every constituency takes a part of it in that budget year and it doesn’t lead us to the conclusion of a project, I think the time has come to try something new.
“But as parliament, when it comes to budgetary appropriation matters, clearly you have the yam and you have the knives, and you can choose to cut as you wish.
“Let us also not forget that there are some contractors who were at work last year. The budget of N19 billion passed through this national assembly last year, l wasn’t here then. And perhaps that was the time to have put our foot down. We have another opportunity now to put our foot down and l hope that we do not miss it.
“Some members of the committee, have of course, pointed out that they wanted to see a plan. There is a plan before you and it is a plan that l appeal that you should kindly look at in more detail,” he said.
“In doing so, my suggestion is that you trust us with this plan and you hold us to it subject to modifications that we may make and subject to the leadership responsibility that we will take in our various constituencies that next year, this is what will happen in this part of the country, in year three, this is what will happen in this part of the country.”
Story by David Oputah
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