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LequteMan
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Nigeria's Minister of Power, Housing and Works, Babatunde Fashola, has expressed deep concerns on the ability of the Nigerian senate and house of reps to understand the Nigerian constitution.
The minister had earlier raised an alarm that the senate had tampered with the budget for his ministry, introducing projects that weren't there before and cutting down the budgets of several big projects. He said NASS altered allocation to piority projects to favour scores of boreholes and primary health care centres.
Reacting, the National Assembly had accused Fashola of misleading the public with "half-truths" and fallacies. They said Fashola should have known that they only interfered with projects that had concession agreements and private sector funding components. They also accused the minister of wanting to hold on to such projects in order that he may continue to award contracts.
Fashola reacts to senate's accusations
Fashola has issued a statement to counter this reaction.
He said it was sad that the lawmakers would resort to name calling even without understanding the facts of what they were getting into.
He said there is no subsisting concession agreement on the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway and added that what the Infrastructure Construction Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has is a financing agreement from a consortium of banks which is like a loan that still has to be paid back through budgetary provisions.
According to him, there is no fallacy or half truth in the allegation that the budgets were reduced. "The spokespersons admitted this much and now sought to rationalise it by a concession or financing arrangement that has failed to build the road since 2006. The biggest momentum seen on the road was in 2016", Mr. Fashola added.
"In the case of the Second Niger Bridge where one of the spokespersons alleged that the provision in 2016 budget was not spent and had to be returned, Mr. Fashola said that this displays very stark and worrisome gaps in knowledge of the spokesperson about the budget process he was addressing.
According to him, a budget is not cash. It is an approval of estimates of expenditure to be financed by cash from the Ministry of Finance.
“The Ministry of Finance has not yet released any cash for the Second Niger Bridge, so no money was returned.”
“Three phases of Early Works of piling and foundation was approved and financed by the previous government in the hope that a concession will finally be issued, which has not happened because concessionaires have not been able to raise finance.
“The continuation of Early Works IV could not start in May 2016 when the budget was passed because of high water level in the River Niger in the rainy season.
“The contract was only approved by the Federal Executive Council in the first quarter of 2017 and the contractor is awaiting payment.”
He's released a statement to this effect:
The minister had earlier raised an alarm that the senate had tampered with the budget for his ministry, introducing projects that weren't there before and cutting down the budgets of several big projects. He said NASS altered allocation to piority projects to favour scores of boreholes and primary health care centres.
Reacting, the National Assembly had accused Fashola of misleading the public with "half-truths" and fallacies. They said Fashola should have known that they only interfered with projects that had concession agreements and private sector funding components. They also accused the minister of wanting to hold on to such projects in order that he may continue to award contracts.
Fashola reacts to senate's accusations
Fashola has issued a statement to counter this reaction.
He said it was sad that the lawmakers would resort to name calling even without understanding the facts of what they were getting into.
He said there is no subsisting concession agreement on the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway and added that what the Infrastructure Construction Regulatory Commission (ICRC) has is a financing agreement from a consortium of banks which is like a loan that still has to be paid back through budgetary provisions.
According to him, there is no fallacy or half truth in the allegation that the budgets were reduced. "The spokespersons admitted this much and now sought to rationalise it by a concession or financing arrangement that has failed to build the road since 2006. The biggest momentum seen on the road was in 2016", Mr. Fashola added.
"In the case of the Second Niger Bridge where one of the spokespersons alleged that the provision in 2016 budget was not spent and had to be returned, Mr. Fashola said that this displays very stark and worrisome gaps in knowledge of the spokesperson about the budget process he was addressing.
According to him, a budget is not cash. It is an approval of estimates of expenditure to be financed by cash from the Ministry of Finance.
“The Ministry of Finance has not yet released any cash for the Second Niger Bridge, so no money was returned.”
“Three phases of Early Works of piling and foundation was approved and financed by the previous government in the hope that a concession will finally be issued, which has not happened because concessionaires have not been able to raise finance.
“The continuation of Early Works IV could not start in May 2016 when the budget was passed because of high water level in the River Niger in the rainy season.
“The contract was only approved by the Federal Executive Council in the first quarter of 2017 and the contractor is awaiting payment.”
He's released a statement to this effect: