Fashola Lied On N600bn Allocation For Road Construction – Senate

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The Senate on Sunday denied a statement credited to Minister of
Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola that the National
Assembly should be held responsible for the poor conditions of
Federal roads in Benue State.

Fashola was quoted to have made the claim when retired Generals
and ‘other leaders of thought’ from Benue South Senatorial District
visited him in Abuja.

He was said to have alleged that N600billion proposed for
capital expenditure was not approved by the National Assembly.

The group led by Air Vice Marshal Morgan Monday (rtd.) had
reportedly complained about the deplorable state of roads in the
senatorial district.

However, in a statement by Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the Upper Chamber
described the allegation as a “fallacy of the highest order.”

Basiru insisted the National Assembly cannot and should not be
held responsible for the deplorable state of roads whether in Benue
or in any other part of the country.

He said even though the Senate would not want to join issues
with the Minister over the claim, it decided to publicly debunk the
allegations because the issue of road infrastructure is important
and controversial.

He added it was necessary to put the records straight so as to
disabuse the minds of the undiscerning members of the public about
the acts of the National Assembly.

“The records needed to be set right so that the two arms of
government should not be seen as working at cross purposes in the
course of delivering dividends and good governance to electorates,”
he said.

According to him the 2020 capital expenditure proposed by the
executive and passed by the National was N265 billion.

He said that the Executive later brought a revised capital
budget of N256 billion, which was also approved by the National
Assembly.

He said in the 2021 Appropriation Bill being considered by the
National Assembly, the Executive proposed a capital expenditure of
N363billion.

He then wondered where the Minister of Works Housing got his
figure of N600 billion which he claimed was the figure proposed but
was allegedly not approved by the National Assembly.

He therefore called on Nigerians especially the Minister’s
guests from Benue South Senatorial District to note that “figures
do not lie.”

He listed three ongoing road construction in the Benue South
Senatorial District to include Oju-Adum Okuku road at N91,180 000,
Otukpo Township road at N357,200,000 and Oju/Loko-Oweto bridge at a
cost of N357, 200, 000.

On the Minister’s allegation the National Assembly prioritised
constituency projects over others, the Senate spokesperson said
that the Minister was merely calling a pity party and being
sentimental.

He added that the statement was made to set the lawmakers on
collision course with the electorate.

“It should be emphasized therefore that never has allocations
specifically meant for other projects ever been diverted to
constituency projects as constituency projects have their
allocations in the budget,” he said.

He said that execution of all constituency projects is statutory
carried out by the Executive through its various ministries,
departments and agencies (MDAs).