By Frank Momoh
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has stated that the number of roads seeking government’s attention for completion and rehabilitation keeps increasing on daily basis.
He also stated that the resources required to fix them remained grossly inadequate.
Fashola, made the disclosure in Abuja during an interactive session of the Senate Committee on Works to the ministry and its agencies.
He also noted that the inability to complete the various road projects across the country was as a result of inadequate budget and release of funds.
While describing roads as national assets of any nation, Fashola called on all stakeholders in the Works sector to come up with a hard decision on prioritization of roads for completion and rehabilitationon the basis of social and economic importanceto Nigerians.
The minister recommended the prioritization of major link roads across the states and the roads to the various sea and airports across the country.
The minister who was enthusiastic with the calibre of the Senators that constituted the Committee on Works whom he described as capable and tested men of proven integrity, added that with their support, the challenges on Nigerian roads would be overcome.
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero stated that members of his Committee would collaborate with the Executive to do the needful in addressing the challenges in the works sector.
As an option to address the funding challenge in the works sector, Aliero, suggested sourcing for fund through local and foreign investors by concessioning some of our major roads.
I believe if we concession some major roads and get the contractors to construct those roads to international standards, they can recoup their investments within reasonable time by tolling the roads, he stressed.
This according to him, will gradually reduce government involvement in road construction and allow the ministry focus on being the regulator in line with what is obtainable in many countries in the world.
“I am very optimistic that the government of President Mohammadu Buhari and the 9th Senate will deliver roads of international standard to the people of Nigeria and in no distant time, they will notice qualitative transformation in the works industry.” The chairman added.
Other members of the committee in attendance include, Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Ike Ekweremadu, Orji Uzor Kalu, Kashim Shetima, Kabiru Gaya and Danjuma Home.