By Dwelleth Morountodun
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, on Monday admitted that task of solving estimated billing,
supply of meters and making the power supply steady remain a challenge that will be handle within the medium-term goal.
The minister made the remark at the presentation of a book on infrastructure delivery in the country at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, said the ministry after almost 4 years has delivered on the targets it set for itself in 2015.
Fashola boasts that there is at least one federal road under construction in each of the 36 states and the FCT; while some have been completed, others are still under construction.
He said: “Our campaign message of change would mean in this ministry and in respect of the three sectors of this ministry I set out what should be expected of us.
“For Power, I said that we will change paltry budget of N5 billion which we met in 2015 by spending more and I committed to the delivery of incremental power; as our short-term objective.
“For Works, I promised that we will increase the paltry budget of N19 billion, and use the same to revive abandoned road projects, restore construction activities, recover lost construction jobs and reduce journey times on our federal roads.
“For Housing, I promised that we will set out to develop a model National Housing Programme, to ascertain what Nigerians find acceptable and affordable as a prelude to a more aggressive roll out of National Housing that we are sure that Nigerians accept and can also afford.”
He added that construction workers will attest that they have a better deal than in 2015, explaining further that quarry operators will tell you that the business of supplying sand, rocks, chippings, laterite and other construction materials is better today than in 2015.
While admitting that work in the road sector is not finished, he said: “The volumes and quantities of Bitumen and Asphalt being sold has increased compared to 2015. Supervising consultants engaged to monitor our contractors and even banks who issue bank guarantees to secure payment to contractors will tell you that they have a better deal than in 2015.
“More importantly the Road Transport operators and their unions and commuters will tell you that their journey times are better.”
He said Nigerians re-elected President Muhammadu Buhari, because of these achievements and he is set to take them to the Next Level and finish the job.
The housing sector, he said has a similar story of economic opportunities with construction going on in 34 states most of which are now largely completed.
“We are now in the administrative state of setting better conditions for eligibility and offer to the public, while simultaneously planning a second phase in those states that have given us land.
“While the whole of Nigeria has focused on power from the grid for 6 (six) decades in the search for a solution to our energy problem, the Buhari government has opened a new page through this ministry about the possibilities that lie in the OFF-GRID sector.
“Through this initiative and the Rural Electrification Agency, 7 (seven) universities, 2 (two) teaching hospitals are currently having their own independent power solution deployed at various states.
“Preparatory works have been undertaken on all sites. All the equipment have arrived in Nigerian ports and while some have been cleared, others are being attended to.”