MINISTER of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday, said contractors handling the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway are to resume work on the project next Monday.
He said disbursement of funds for contractors to resume work on various federal road projects would take off in the next few days.
Fashola spoke at an inaugural Buharimeter townhall meeting in Abuja, convoked by Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), to ensure that promises made during electioneering process were kept and accountability mechanism instituted.
The townhall meeting had five ministers in attendance, which included the Ministers of Environment, Amina Mohammed; Budget and National Planning, Udo Udoma; Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh.
Fashola noted that the present administration was one that plans for a purpose, noting that there was already a trend towards proper governance in the country.
According to him, it was left for citizens to determine whether they want rapid results from the present government or sustainable results.
He disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government had made a determination to be method-driven, even when citizens expect definite result.
The minister expressed regrets that even though the previous government budgeted for some roads, including the Jebba-Ilorin Road, it failed to release money for it.
On power, Fashola stated that the state of electricity had remained poor, as 23 out of 26 the power plants in the country were being fired by gas, yet vandals kept blowing up oil pipelines in the Nigeri Delta.
He noted that some distribution companies in the country currently face financial crisis and unpaid debts.
The minister faulted those seeking sanctions against distributing firms over poor distribution of power, saying “as a regulator, I must be seen to be doing things empirically and not emotionally, not on mob action because some people want DISCOS to be punished.”
