Press Release - June 24, 2017 - *Budget 2017: Fashola Should Stop Spreading Half-Truths, Says Senate*

The Senate has cautioned Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, to stop spreading wrong information and half-truth about the 2017 budget as the legislators worked to ensure equity across the country on all new and outstanding projects.

In a statement by its spokesperson, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate noted that Mr. Fashola did not give members of the public full details about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which has been on a private finance initiative from the beginning because he would prefer an arrangement that allows the Ministry to continue to award contracts and fund the project through Government budgetary allocation at a time when the nation's revenue is dwindling and at an all time low.

Abdullahi stated that the Bureau of Public Procurement, and the Federal Executive Council in 2013, approved the reconstruction, rehabilitation and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway as a Public Private Partnership project using the Private Finance Initiative, with the Federal Government providing about 30 percent of the funding while the balance shall be provided by the private sector. The project was on course for completion by end of 2017 when the private finance initiative was being implemented, with over 30 percent completion rate attained as at early 2015.

Abdullahi further noted that in a blatant disregard for existing agreements, constituted authorities and extant laws, Fashola on assumption of office got Government through the Ministry to start voting money for the implementation of the project.

"Even as at last year the 2016 Appropriation Act voted N40 billion for the project on the insistence of the Ministry and only N26 billion was released. If we had known, the rest N14 billion could have been allocated to other critical roads across the country", he said.

"In the spirit of consensus building and effective stakeholder engagement, the Leadership of the Senate met with key relevant stakeholders, including the Ministries of Works and finance. It was agreed that we should give the Private Finance Initiative a chance to complement Government’s resources in the delivery of critical infrastructure assets across the country. Hence, in this year's budget, we have engaged with the Government and private sector groups who have assured that they will resume funding of the project. So, we only provided the fund in the budget that would ensure work does not stop before the funds from the private sector start coming in .What we reduced from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the 2017 budget estimate was spread on Oyo-Ogbomoso road in the South-west, Enugu-Onitsha road in the South-east, and two other critical roads in the North-east and North-west; and this was done to achieve equity. The Minister should realise he is Minister for the entire country and not just that of Lagos State.

"It is our view that the Federal Government cannot fund the reconstruction and maintenance of all the 34,000 kilometres of roads under its care. We are looking for private funds for some of these roads, particularly those with high potentials of attracting private investors. These include the Enugu-Onitsha road, Kano-Abuja road and Abuja-Lokoja road. It has been our hope that the Lagos -Ibadan road would be a model for private sector funding of infrastructure in the country", the spokesman stated.

He added that Fashola knew that Federal Government cannot fully fund this road for completion by 2019 as he is promising Nigerians. "It's deceit of the highest order. Just going by the last two years of funding where an average of about N30b per annum was released then the nation would have to wait for the next six years for completion of the work .But with Private sector Finance Initiative, this project can be completed on time because full funding will be provided and there will be more certainty", he stated.

Abdullahi noted that since Government did not have enough money and/or unlimited resources to provide all the needed road infrastructure on a sustainable basis, the use of funds from the private sector to complement Government’s resources would ease pressure on the annual budgetary provisions for infrastructure provision, as more money will be spent on less commercially viable roads that would not ordinarily attract private sector investment as well as other social services like education, health and human capital development.

"The Minister's statement is in bad taste and we believe he has been quoted out of context as an experienced public servant with over 15 years of high level responsibility will not be uttering such statements. He should desist from spreading half-truths. When he said the National Assembly imported projects into the 2017 budget, he did not mention that these include the 26 projects which the Federal Government approved in the 2016 budget, awarded contract for them in January 2016, but totally omitted them in the 2017 budget. One of them is the Abuja-Kaduna road. These ones would have become abandoned projects. We reduced funds across board to make provision for these omitted projects that are of critical importance to the socio-economic development of the country in line with equity and fair play.

"Mr. Fashola obviously wants the Federal Ministry of Works to have many construction projects it can award contracts for and that is why he would always oppose any attempt to allow the private sector financing initiatives through Public Private Partnerships or other levels of Government to fund construction of roads under the control of the Federal Government. That was why he waited until he was arm-twisted on the Lagos Airport road before he allowed the Lagos State Government take up the reconstruction, using private funds. Same thing happened to the proposal for the Apapa Wharf road, which was frustrated for over a year before the stakeholders reined in the Ministry to grudgingly approve that Dangote and Flour Mills should take over the project.

"It should also be explained that nobody introduced budgetary provisions for the sinking of boreholes and construction of clinics under the budget of the Works division of the Ministry. However, the Housing division would ordinarily have provision for such facilities in its estimate, so as to meet the Sustainable Development Goals as provided for by the United Nations . This is aimed at reducing slums and improve the well-being of our citizenry.

"The National Assembly already have an agreement with the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, that if for example, the Private Finance Initiative does not materialize to provide the needed funds for the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, just as in other areas where government has issues with the budget, the instruments of Virement and supplementary budget can be used. This is as a result of our belief that it is one Government and we all share the gains of the successes and pains of the failure. However, with all these blackmail game and backbiting going on, they are already laying the foundation for the failure of the agreement with the Executive", he stated.

Abdullahi added that the National Assembly acted in the national interest to ensure equity and fairness is achieved in the distribution of projects and to ensure that all sections of the country have representation in the national budget as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.

Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi
Chairman,
Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs

http://newsnownigeria.com.ng/lagos-ibadan-expressway-lagos-state-minister-senate-lambast-fashola-press-statement/

By the time they finish rubbishing Mr. Rocket science aka minister of darkness, he will regret accepting to work with buhari. Modified**** I will dedicate my first to comment position to the great country that is about to emerge called Biafra. Africas only hope of a black technologically advanced country. Its obvious that God, karma, nature and even humanity has given up on Nigeria. Its now apparent that there is little or no hope left now to salvage Nigeria, and there is no need to even try because the north as Arewa is better off as an Islamic country, complete with sharia & boko haram, the west as Oduduwa & East as the technological powerhouse called Biafra. WE ALL SHOULD SUPPORT BIAFRA TODAY FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS, NIGERIA HAS FINALLY EXPIRED!!!

see insult

Afonjas are always self centered and tribalistic

The dude even went as far as using Julius berger to work on the lagos--ibadan road and allocating other roads to mushroom constructors

Nigeria do not need people like fashola and osibanjo in the federal level.....they are highly tribalistic....and they can brainwash the people working with them.....

They have brainwashed amaechi,to the extent that the only rail line he is constructing is the ones in SW.
Lagos----Ibadan
Lagos-----Kano
Lagos----maidugari
Lagos----calabar....


Abandoning portharcout, his own state

They have brainwashed amaechi to the extent that he only knows about the seaport in Lagos...
even trying to construct 2 more...
Abandoning the ones in Niger delta.

Fashola is a failure period. He's bigotry is legendary. The only bastarrd that will deport a (one Nigeria) citizen to another (one Nigeria) state.

The national assembly still remained our major problem,
How can them take up the function of the executive?
They are so useless.
Allocating new project into the budget without planning and design.

Afonjas are the evil behind Nigeria problem,......they jubilate when other tribes are at enemity....they pretend to be neutral but secretly wish other tribe evil and fight for other tribe downfall.

Even in Nigerdelta that lay the golden egg....

Come and see the shovel contractors, fashola is using to construct the ENUGU-----PORTHARCOUT expressway

Chai! See uppercut wey dem give Fashola the minister of Darkness

kemi adeshina.......finance minister

Fashola......minister for work..

Osinbajo.....AG president

These people are all tribalistic bigot, they are not needed at the federal level.....
They have a mission...

beberebe:
The dude even went as far as using Julius berger to work on the lagos--ibadan road and allocating other roads to mushroom constructors

Julius Berger and RCC started working on the road during PDP regime before fashola took over as a minister

HsLBroker:
Julius Berger and RCC started working on the road during PDP regime before fashola took over as a minister

Afonjas are highly tribalistic.... they are not needed at the federal level...

Like Buhari, like BRF. Both of them should resign.

Buhari was never prepared to be president and BRF, simply overwhelmed by the huge responsibility.

The Senator should shut his stinking gutter. Are they all not the same? When it doesn't favour them, they use ethnic bigotry and religion. When it favours them, they either keep quiet or shout 'One Nigeria'.

The Nigerdeltan and SE will never support osinbanjo for President come 2019

beberebe:


Afonjas are highly tribalistic.... they are not needed at the federal level...

ok

beberebe:
Nigeria do not need people like fashola and osibanjo in the federal level.....they are highly tribalistic....and they can brainwash the people working with them.....

False statement . I assumed you are speaking from your dream

This is the very reason Afonjas will always shout one Nigeria.... becos they have a mission of using Oil money to fully develop their place and also hijack economic power.....

After they are done with their evil mission and a gender....they will start clamouring for division...

beberebe:

Afonjas are highly tribalistic.... they are not needed at the federal level...

Name an ethnic group in Nigeria that's free from ethnic bigotry with facts? You have about 10 submissions on this thread, SW don do you strong thing.

samtol4:
False statement . I assumed you are speaking from your dream

SS/SE will never support osinbajo for president in 2019....

nerodenero:
Name an ethnic group in Nigeria that's free from ethnic bigotry with facts? You have about 10 submissions on this thread, SW don do you strong thing.

Afonjas are tribalistic bigot.....Always forming accommodating just for people to develop their land....

Jesusloveyou:
The national assembly still remained our major problem,
How can them take up the function of the executive?
They are so useless.
Allocating new project into the budget without planning and design.

Better they do....in order to checkmate the excesses from Afonjas, because a typical Afonjas man is a tribalistic bigot

The senate should keep quiet and bury its head in shame. They engage in this corrupt pratice of inflating the budget figures every year. Oles.

quiverfull:
The senate should keep quiet and bury its head in shame. They engage in this corrupt pratice of inflating the budget figures every year. Oles.

you want them to keep quiet,so that the tribalistic minister can carry-on with his evil a gender....it will never work..

Omo see hate comments coming from posters above me. I thought y'all wanted biafra? Y r u focused on those that are from SW? Have we heard from Chris Ngige? U should be focusing on how to get biafra and not talk about Nigeria since u want to opt out. If dem no do, una go talk, now dem wan do una still dey complain. No wonder y'all are hated everywhere. See tribalists calling others tribalist.

beberebe:
Afonjas are the evil behind Nigeria problem,......they jubilate when other tribes are at enemity....they pretend to be neutral but secretly wish other tribe evil and fight for other tribe downfall.

The National Assembly is currently under attack from prominent groups and economic experts for reducing the budgetary allocations for projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge, PUNCH reports.

It was gathered that the lawmakers reduced the budget for the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from N31bn to N10bn, while the vote for the Second Niger Bridge was cut from N15bn to N10bn.

But as against N115bn budgeted for the federal lawmakers in 2016, the National Assembly hiked its budget to N125bn in 2017.

Condemning the lawmakers, civil rights organisations said the National Assembly, by slashing allocations for the projects and increasing its own votes, had shown that it was selfish.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), had raised the alarm over the insertion of projects outside the purview of his ministry into the 2017 Appropriation Act by the National Assembly.

Tribalism and bigotry is sadly destroying you people.

Just because you hate Fashola, you failed to see the games the senate clowns are playing with your future and well being.


The crooked lawmakers slashed the budgets for critical projects like the 2nd NB in your village while the increased their own pay and budgets.

Please tell us how this is helping you.

Are you people really blind and so congested with tribalism and bigotry that you don't see anything even when you are being killed?


The useless and ignorant senator played you, but because of tribalism and hatred, you failed to notice that the same useless senator said nothing about the 2nd NB in your village that they slashed too.

Have you asked the useless senator if the bridge in your village is under the same PPP/ Private Partnership project too, hence the reason why they slashed the budget for the bridge in your village too?

Tribalism and bigotry is all you people see in everything, even when you are being destroyed, you don't care because tribalism ad bigotry comes first to you and it's your only prism into the world around you and how your interact socially and communally.


What a terrible disease and mental destruction you people have.


Now, lets focus on the 2nd NB.

PPP like the useless lawmakers suggested means you are going to be tolled for that bridged, it means you are going to pay out of your pocket to use that road for 30 years.

Fashola is trying to prevent that hence trying to have the government pay for instead of PPP where you and your people pay for that bridge for 30 years.

They took your bridge money away to make allowance for their own pay increase and budget increase.

Yet, you people don't care, just the name Fashola is all you bigots care about.


Den really really don swear for you people. And you wonder why

Abi can you tell us how the lawmakers action benefited you or the country in any way?

deomelo:





Tribalism and bigotry is sadly destroying you people.

Just because you hate Fashola, you failed to see the games the senate clowns are playing with your future and well being.


The crooked lawmakers slashed the budgets for critical projects like the 2nd NB in your village while the increased their own pay and budgets.

Please tell us how this is helping you.

Are you people really blind and so congested with tribalism and bigotry that you don't see anything even when you are being killed?


The useless and ignorant senator played you, but because of tribalism and hatred, you failed to notice that the same useless senator said nothing about the 2nd NB in your village that they slashed too.

Have you asked the useless senator if the bridge in your village is under the same PPP/ Private Partnership project too, hence the reason why they slashed the budget for the bridge in your village too?

Tribalism and bigotry is all you people see in everything, even when you are being destroyed, you don't care because tribalism ad bigotry comes first to you and it's your only prism into the world around you and how your interact socially and communally.


What a terrible disease and mental destruction you people have.


Now, lets focus on the 2nd NB.

PPP like the useless lawmakers suggested means you are going to be tolled for that bridged, it means you are going to pay out of your pocket to use that road for 30 years.

Fashola is trying to prevent that hence trying to have the government pay for instead of PPP where you and your people pay for that bridge for 30 years.

They took your bridge money away to make allowance for their own pay increase and budget increase.

Yet, you people don't care, just the name Fashola is all you bigots care about.


Den really really don swear for you people. And you wonder why

Abi can you tell us how the lawmakers action benefited you or the country in any way?

Rubbish

[s]

beberebe:


Rubbish

[/s]



Struck a cord. ?


Typical ipobitch.