Story from Sa’adatu MAINA, Damaturu
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said that the Federal Government would refund the money expended for the construction of federal roads in Yobe State.
Mr Fashola, who was in Yobe to assess the federal roads constructed by the state government. said that the refund would be initiated after the completion of the evaluation exercise of the roads.
Neptune Prime reports that the roads assessed include Nguru-Machina 57km, Gashu’a-Yusufari 31km, Damaturu-Magza 77km and Kaliyari-Baimari-Gaidam 109km and is quoted to be worth over N20 billion.
Speaking during the assessment visit in Gashua, Fashola said the state had requested reimbursement of expenses on the roads which were completed by the previous administrations.
“Late last year or so, some states got their refunds. We just received another request from some states, including Yobe and Kebbi, that they have been omitted in the refunds.
“That was why the President reconstituted a presidential committee which I chair.
“As you can see, the roads were not done today, so we will assess and go back and report for the consideration of the government,” he said.
The Minister further stated that “There are standard pricing for materials and design, we will file our report base on what we find because we have a method for making quantification then send it to the government cost control centre where they will then advise the government on what is due for payment. There is a skill that will allow you to value any asset, we can’t pre-determined what will be the outcome.”
On the Zangon Shanu pond that triggers flooding in Nguru town annually, the minister said heavy equipment were deployed to the site to solve the problem under a special repair contract awarded by the ministry.
He noted that the pond was created as a result of the excavation of construction materials in the town.
In his remarks, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Baba Wali, said the state had spent over N20 billion on the construction of various federal roads covering 268 kilometres.
The SSG was accompanied in the visit by the Speaker, Yobe State House of Assembly, Lawan Mirwa and the state Commissioner of Works, Alhaji Umar Duddaye, among others.
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