Akure, May 25, 2023 – Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works and Housing, says the Buhari administration will continue to award contracts until the midnight of May 28.
“We will be leaving behind sustainable development. We are still awarding contracts. We are still working,” he said.
Fashola said this in Akure on Thursday while flagging off the construction of the 49km Akure-Ado-Ekiti road.
He said the National Assembly had since passed the budget for the administration to work on.
Fashola said the former contractor engaged to construct the road could not start work because the Sukuk fund that was to be used could only pay for work done and not pay mobilisation to contractors.
He said the road was being constructed by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited under the Tax Credit Policy at a cost of over N90 billion.
The minister said he rejected proposals to upgrade and carry out remedial repairs on the road because he wanted the road dualised.
On the country’s N77 trillion debt incurred by Buhari, Fashola said the debts of many state governments were included.
He said the alternative to borrowing was increased taxation.
“We want the road and we say Buhari is borrowing too much. The road is funded through Tax Credit Policy. It means the FG has forsaken some revenue for you to have the road.”
Fasola advised the National Assembly to review the Procurement Act, saying the current processes prescribed by the Procurement Act had slowed down development. (GBN)
