Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has inspected the ongoing dualization of the 221-kilometre Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road, the National Housing Programme and Federal Secretariat projects in Nasarawa State, declaring that the strategy of the Muhammadu Buhari administration on infrastructure as a driver of economic growth is working.
Fashola, who also noted that the role of a progressive government is to improve the human condition, advocated collaboration rather than agitation as a means of solving issues like compensation.
According to him, collaboration would enable government to engage the owners of land and properties along the corridors of ongoing road projects while construction and rehabilitation works continue on such projects.
Responding to a question on the federal government’s borrowings while interacting with newsmen after inspecting the road, the minister explained that the road is being funded from a China EXIM Bank loan, pointing out that although the decision to borrow from the Chinese bank was initiated by the immediate past administration, the process was completed by the current administration.
“I have always told you that my own view of our role as a progressive government is to improve the human condition”, he told the newsmen, adding that all the activities along the project corridors, including business and other economic activities, were for improving the human condition.
Fashola listed some of the benefits that would accrue from the project after completion to include reduction in journey time and cost of travel as well as safety of lives.
The minister said aside from the direct jobs generated by the project by way of employment, there are quarrying plants that have come on board as a result of the project and are employing over 100 people, while an asphalt plant that has also come into existence is also employing dozens of people.
“These have brought a lot of economic activities around here, and along the stretch of this corridor we are employing thousands of people,” he said.
He appealed to the communities to remain peaceful and collaborate with government, especially on the issue of compensation, adding that agitation would only delay the completion of the work.
On the perceived delay in the project execution, the minister, who said the contractors are working in sections, explained further, “There are places where we still need to relocate, to resettle people, we still need to deal with the issues of compensation,” adding that the federal government was working with the governments of Benue and Nasarawa states to ensure that those who would get compensated are the real beneficiaries and not middlemen.
On the Lafia-Shendam Road, Fashola noted that the road needed attention even before the Buhari administration came to power, but added that some rehabilitation work would be done on the road in response to thestate governor’s appeal.
“But we cannot do everything at once. If you understand, we have talked about the Loko-Oweto Bridge. We have talked about the Shendam Bridge and there are so many other repair works we are doing. So, as these things come, we take them one at a time,” he said.
At the National Housing Programme in Lafia, Fashola, who was joined by the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, explained that the programme was being undertaken in Phases in 34 states of the country.
He noted, “We are now in some states at Phase 3. In many other states, we are in Phase 2, and that is why you see some completed and some uncompleted houses here.”
Fashola, who also visited the Federal Secretariat Complex under construction in Lafia, told newsmen that after the creation of the state some 25 years ago, there was the need to properly accommodate federal government workers serving in the state, pointing out that the burden of accommodating the workers had put pressure on the facilities belonging to the state.
Also speaking at the Secretariat Complex site, the Governor Sule expressed deep appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari and the minister for the number of infrastructure projects going on in the state, including the new secretariat.
Fashola was accompanied on the one-day working tour by top ministry officials, including directors, Controllers of Works and Housing in the state as well as Special Advisers.
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