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Tag: Fashola

  • FG won’t abandon last administration’s projects – Fashola

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Friday  said President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will not abandon projects initiated by the last administration.

    Fashola stated this at the commissioning of the 100 units ministerial pilot housing scheme, along Ogbomoso-Ilorin expressway.

    The minister said change should not be dysfunctional, adding that essence of political power was to improve human dignity.

    The project was financed by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN.

    Fashola said, “I want to acknowledge that this housing estate project was started during the last administration in 2014. It is important to do so. But I know that traditionally when administrations change, especially when political ideologies also change, people are apprehensive of what happened to uncompleted projects. People may have been worried what would happen to this estate.

    “Gladly today, President Buhari has said that change does not have to be dysfunctional.  There is no politics about housing. It is human dignity that is most important. That is the purpose of political power.

    “So, for those who ask what change means. It means change does not have to be dysfunctional and it is all about service to people.

    “Hundreds of families would live in this neighbourhood, and that is change.”

     

  • Fashola queries Ekiti Works controller for negligence

    Fashola queries Ekiti Works controller for negligence

    Power, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola yesterday queried the Federal Controller of Works in Ekiti State, Hezekiah Olawale Kehinde, for locating the National Housing Estate project inside a jungle on the outskirts of Ado-Ekiti.

    Fashola, who visited the site with Governor Ayo Fayose, decried the location of the estate.

    Besides the location in a  jungle, off Ado-Iworoko Road, there are security concerns for would-be residents.

    Explanations by Kehinde did not satisfy the minister with Fayose saying he was not consulted before the site was chosen.

    Fashola said: “How will you feel if I relocate your office from Ado-Ekiti to this place, will you still function?

    “If you really know that  this is not good, why are you building these here for Nigerians? Are you not aware that you are working for Nigerians?

    “We will have to discuss possible relocation of this place when I get to Abuja. You said you were given this site, even if this is where the government had allocated for it, I expect you to give professional advice that this place is not suitable.”

    Fayose described the controller as incapable of supervising such a highly technical department.

    He said: “You (Controller) said you came to my office and you didn’t see me, why couldn’t you send a message? I was not even aware that such project was ongoing in that far area.

    “My impression about some of the federal civil servants was that, they are overzealous. Some of them will come to Ekiti and they will not even notify the government.

    “I expect that I should have been told if such project is happening in my domain. This is about Nigerians and not an issue that should be politicised,” Fayose said.

    Fashola also inspected the dualisation of Ado-Akure highway in Ikere Ekiti by the state, expressing satisfaction with the pace of work

    The governor described the minister’s visit as very timely, saying it came when massive construction was being undertaken on Ado-Aramoko -Itawure and Ado-Ikere-Akure roads.

  • Fashola raises hope on housing scheme

    Fashola raises hope on housing scheme

    Nigerians’ hope of owning  homes is looking up. This is because houses built under the Federal Housing Scheme will be allocated to all Nigerians, irrespective of their states of origin.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, gave the assurance shortly after completing a tour of federal projects in Maiduguri, Borno State.

    “I prefer to use the word residents to indicate people who live or work in the states where the houses are built, rather than those who are indigenous to the state,’’ Fashola said, adding that the ultimate beneficiaries of the houses will be residents of the states in which the houses are built.

    He said the objective of the scheme is to deliver affordable houses to workers based on the National Housing Policy.

    “There is a National Housing Policy in place aimed at providing affordable housing, but there has been no programme in place to deliver the houses. That is what this programme is all about,” he said.

    The National Housing programme is built on a foundation that requires consulting stakeholders, by conducting, surveys so the stakeholders can take ownership of it. This, he explained, is why the ministry is consulting, in the hope that it will be able to carry along the stakeholders so that they can take ownership of the scheme.

    He said it is after this stage that the ministry can talk about affordability, pointing out that the housing scheme was also part of government multi-facet approach to economic development.

    “The programme is part of government efforts to create value chain economic activities, aimed at empowering Nigerians all over the country. Workers will be happy on site getting paid from contractors to take care of their families and patronising food and others,” he said.

    The minister also said the ministry was training artisans such as carpenters and bricklayers, among others, to be relevant technically.

  • FEC okays N102.08bn for roads, rail projects

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N102.077 billion and $1.79 billion for roads projects across the country and rail project in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola and Minister of FCT, Bello Mohammed, briefed State House correspondents at the end of the meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    They were led to the briefing by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.

    Fashola said N80 billion was approved for 12 roads and bridges in various states including Taraba, Adamawa, Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Plateau, Osun, Kwara, Kano, Oyo, Enugu and Kaduna.

    He also said there was approval of N150.84 million for engineering and consultancy design for access road 1 and 2 ‎to link Asaba in Delta State and Onitsha in Anambra State to the Second Niger Bridge project.

    “Subsequent to the award of further works on the Second Niger Bridge we have started work now by this approval on the design of the link road that will connect the two states to the bridge.

    “The design is expected to be completed in six months and we will start procurement and as the bridge advances we can then connect the two states,” the minister added.

     

     

  • Fashola, Adeosun, others for IIM’s economic recovery confab

    The Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Minister, Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo-Udoma are set for this year’s annual lecture of the Institute of Information Management (IIM).

    The lecture is slated for tomorrow at the University of Lagos.

    Other members of the Federal Executive (FEC) expected at the occasion are the Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the and his counterpart in the  Labour & Employment Ministry, Dr. Chris Ngige.

    Fashola will grace the occasion as guest speaker. Information Management: A Strategic Tool for Economic Recovery & Growth is the of the forum.

    The event is also expected to recognise and honour different stakeholders, including past and present public office holders, captains of industries including leaders in different sectors of the economy.

    President/Chairman Board of Directors/Governing Council,  IIM-Africa, Dr. Oyedokun  Oyewole, said  the event is aimed at highlighting the role of IM in supporting and ensuring adequate implementation of government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

  • Ambode, Fashola and the soul of Lagos

    Ambode, Fashola and the soul of Lagos

    SIR: “In our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our seeking for economic and political progress as a nation, we all go up or else all go down as one people” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

    I write as a concerned member of the Lagos society, not standing in between but airing my view as an active resident and citizen of the renowned commercial city of Nigeria, one of the largest economies in Africa.

    I watched with surprise the address by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, when he took to the media to address the challenges he is facing while trying to reshape the city to world-class standard. No doubt, Ambode, as studied by me, after meeting with him before and after his emergence as governor, is not the talking type, but what could have spurred him to make his recent public address on the perceived infighting remains a question waiting for an answer.

    Former Governor Babatunde Fashola’s response to Ambode’s press conference says much about his oratorical prowess,  but his answers raise further questions on his position on “Lagos first” agenda.

    It is said that Fashola is not on the same page with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the respected All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader. It is important for the party to put its  house in order, especially given the image of Lagos as a model for the other states in the country, and the position of the APC as the country’s ruling party. Lagosians are watching; the grass may not wait to suffer the wrath of the fighting elephants and the elephants may not see a ground to leverage.

    The nation’s economic capital, Lagos State, has in recent times faced criticism and antagonism from various quarters, such as rejection of its call for special status and the investigation by the House of Representatives on the transfer of the National Stadium and so on.

    The coming together of Lagos State’s finest will strengthen its agitations and further its cause as it seeks to raise its standards to fit its megacity status.

     

    • Eniola Opeyemi,

    Badagry, Lagos State

  • Fashola restates commitment to serve the people of Lagos

    Fashola restates commitment to serve the people of Lagos

    Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing has restated his commitment to serve the government and people of Lagos in accordance with necessary due process.

    Fashola said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Mr Hakeem Bello, his Special Adviser on Communication.

    The minister also pledged to treat the request of the state on merit just as would be done to other states.

    Fashola was reacting to statements credited to Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State that the “Federal Ministry of Works” was frustrating the efforts of his administration to carry out a “total reconstruction of the International Airport Road from Oshodi’’.

    The governor had also accused the ministry and security services of denying the state government access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos, six months after approval was granted by the President.

    According to Fashola, his response is to ensure that members of the public are not misled by deliberate or inadvertent statements.

    He said the allegations of lack of cooperation from the Ministry and frustration of Lagos State Government development initiatives were not true.

    Fashola said that the ministry had in 2016, approved the use of the Federal Ministry of Works yard at Oworonsoki by Lagos State Government to create a lay-by to ease traffic.

    He said Lagos State was granted rights to manage the Street Lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge to support the security initiatives of the state.

    Fashola said in the same year, the ministry also supported approval of the World Bank Loan of 200 million dollars to the state, a request the previous administration had denied the state.

     “For the International Airport Road, the correct position is that the Lagos State Government presented a request for four roads that it would wish to take over.

    “This is consistent with the position being canvassed by the minister for states that are interested to apply to take over roads that are within their states.

    “The ministry has presented the memorandum conveying the request of the state to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as was done with a similar request by the Kaduna State Government in 2016,” he said.

    He said FEC could not reach an immediate decision due to the fact that two of the roads also connect Ogun State and so, requested for the input of Ogun State Government.

     

    Fashola stated that the Presidential Lodge was under the management of the presidency and not the ministry.

     

    He said a directive was issued to the ministry to work out modalities for the handing over after approval by the president.

     

    Fashola said the ministry had prepared a vesting instrument to convey the transfer, stating that the Presidential Lodge was a high security location.

     

    He said access to the lodge was not under the control of the ministry, noting that officials of the ministry also required security clearance to enter the lodge for any work.

     

    “If there is any lack of co-operation, it is on the part of the state government that has refused to approve the ministry’s request for Land for the National Housing Programme in Lagos.’’

  • Fashola denies frustrating Lagos

    Fashola denies frustrating Lagos

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola yesterday denied frustrating the government of Lagos State’s  efforts to rebuild the International Airport /Oshodi Road.

    His ministry has presented the state government’srequest to the Federal Executive Council, stressing that he was following the due process.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode spoke on Wednesday of his administration’s battle to get the green light to rebuild the road, which he described as “a disgrace”. The Federal ministry of Works, he said,  was frustrating the efforts to take over the all-important road.

    Fashola said in a statement by his media aide, Hakeem Bello, that he had explained the processes to the governor, adding that equating processes to a lack of cooperation is akin to creating a storm in a tea cup.

    Dismissing the governor’s allegation of non-cooperation, he listed some requests the ministry had granted to the state government since he assumed office.

    Fashola alleged that the state government had refused to provide land for the take off of the National Housing Programme in the state.

    He explained that he decided to respond to the governor’s allegation to ensure that members of the public are not misled by deliberate or inadvertent mis-statements.’

    The statement reads: “The allegations of lack of cooperation from the Ministry and frustration of Lagos State Government development initiatives are simply not true and the facts do not bear them out.

    “In 2016, the Hon Minister for Power Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji  Fashola, SAN, approved the use of the Federal Ministry of Works yard at Oworonsoki for Lagos State Government to create a lay-by to ease traffic.

    “The Hon Minister also approved that Lagos State be granted the Rights to manage the Street Lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge to support the security initiatives of the State, a request which the previous Federal Government administration had denied Lagos State for years.

    “During the same year, the Hon Minister also supported the approval of the World Bank Loan of $200m to Lagos State, again a request the previous administration had denied Lagos State.

    “As far as International Airport Road which is currently the ground for alleged “frustration” is concerned, the correct position is that the Lagos State Government presented a  request for four roads that it would wish to take over.

    “This is consistent with the position being canvassed by the Hon Minisiter for states who are interested to apply to take over roads that are within their states.

    “The Ministry has presented the Memorandum conveying the request of the Lagos State government to the Federal Executive Council as was done with a similar request by the Kaduna State government in 2016.

    “Due to the fact that two of the roads also connect Ogun State, the Federal Executive Council could not reach an immediate decision on them because it requested the input of the other state government affected.

    “The Kaduna State government requested the Federal Government to transfer two roads within Kaduna Metropolis to the state in November 2015. Due process was followed and the request of the state government was approved in August 2016, a period of ten months.

    “Federal Executive Councill Memorandum are debated and commented upon by all members and in cases of roads, surveys, maps and other material have to be provided to assist members understand the location and connectivity of the roads, (in this case Four roads), in order to assist how they vote on the Memorandum.

    “As far as the Presidential Lodge is concerned, it is under the management of the Presidency and not the Ministry.

    “After the approval by Mr President that the Presidential Lodge be handed over to the State Government, there was a directive to the Ministry to work out the modalities for handing over.

    “The ministry has prepared a vesting instrument to convey the transfer and all that is needed is a survey plan.

    “The Presidential Lodge is a high security location and officials of the Ministry also require security clearance to enter in order to do any works.

    “Access to the lodge is not under the control of the Ministry.The motive behind this public accusations must therefore be scrutinised coming barely a week after the governor spoke with the Honorable Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN on the outstanding requests of the State for several minutes and the Minister took time to explain the situation of things to the governor. (The first telephone conversation the governor has had with the minister since May 29, 2015).

    “If there is any lack of co-operation it is on the part of the state government that has refused to acknowledge not to talk of approving the Ministry’s request for Land of the National Housing Programme in Lagos.

    “The ministry is not frustrated by this lack of response and remains optimistic that a response will come from Lagos State.

    “The ministry remains committed to serving the government and good people of Lagos and will treat all their requests on merit and in accordance with necessary due process as will be done to other states.

    “As far as the refund of N51Billion is concerned, this is not a new item. Almost all if not all states have these claims and the Federal Ministry of Power Works and Housing has verified these claims.

    “What is left is the process of raising the finance to pay the debt owed to the States.

    “Those who are familiar with the workings of Government will attest to the fact that it is an intricate sequence of processses, consultation and collaboration.

    “Equating processes to a lack of co-operation is therefore akin to creating a storm in a tea cup.”

  • Ambode’s claims on Airport road, Presidential lodge not true- Works Ministry

    Ambode’s claims on Airport road, Presidential lodge not true- Works Ministry

    The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has denied claims by Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode that it is frustrating his efforts to carry out a “total reconstruction” of the International Airport Road from Oshodi in Lagos.
    It also said it is not true that the Ministry is denying the Lagos Government access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos six months after President Muhammadu Buhari approved it off for the State.
    The Ministry denied the accusations of Governor Ambode in a statement by Special Adviser, Communications, to the Minister of Works, Hakeem Bello.
    The full statement follows:

    The attention of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing has been drawn to certain statements credited to the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode claiming that the “Federal Ministry of Works“ has been frustrating the efforts of his administration to carry out a “total reconstruction of the International Airport Road from Oshodi.
    The Governor also reportedly accused the “Federal Ministry of Works and Housing” and Security Services of denying the State Government access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos six months after President Muhammadu Buhari approved it off for the State.
    This response is to ensure that members of the public are not misled by deliberate or inadvertent mis-statements.
    The allegations of lack of cooperation from the Ministry and frustration of Lagos State Government development initiatives are simply not true and the facts do not bear them out.
    In 2016, the Hon Minister for Power Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, approved the use of the Federal Ministry of works yard at Oworonsoki for Lagos State Government to create a lay-by to ease traffic.
    The Hon Minister also approved that Lagos State be granted the Rights to manage the Street Lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge to support the security initiatives of the State, a request which the previous Federal Government administration had denied Lagos State for years.
    During the same year the Hon Minister also supported the approval of the World Bank Loan of $200m to Lagos State, again a request the previous administration had denied Lagos State.
    As far as International Airport Road which is currently the ground for alleged “frustration” is concerned, the correct position is that the Lagos State Government presented a request for FOUR roads that it would wish to take over.
    This is consistent with the position being canvassed by the Hon Minisiter for States who are interested to apply to take over Roads that are within their States.
    The Ministry has presented the Memorandum conveying the request of the Lagos State Government to the Federal Executive Council as was done with a similar request by the Kaduna State Government in 2016.
    Due to the fact that TWO of the roads also connect Ogun State, the Federal Executive Council could not reach an immediate decision on them because it requested the input of the other State Government affected.
    The Kaduna State Government requested the Federal Government to transfer two roads within Kaduna Metropolis to the State in November 2015. Due process was followed and the request of the State Government was approved in August 2016, a period of ten months.
    Federal Executive Councill Memorandum are debated and commented upon by all members and in cases of roads, surveys, maps and other material have to be provided to assist members understand the location and connectivity of the roads, (in this case Four roads), in order to assist how they vote on the Memorandum.
    As far as the Presidential Lodge is concerned, it is under the management of the Presidency and not the Ministry.
    After the approval by Mr President that the Presidential Lodge be handed over to the State Government, there was a directive to the Ministry to work out the modalities for handing over.
    The Ministry has prepared a vesting instrument to convey the transfer and all that is needed is a survey plan.
    The Presidential Lodge is a high security location and officials of the Ministry also require security clearance to enter in order to do any works.
    Access to the lodge is not under the control of the Ministry.
    The motive behind this public accusations must therefore be scrutinized coming barely a week after the Governor spoke with the Honorable Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN on the outstanding requests of the State for several minutes and the Minister took time to explain the situation of things to the Governor. (The first telephone conversation the Governor has had with the Minister since May 29, 2015).
    If there is any lack of co-operation it is on the part of the State Government that has refused to acknowledge not to talk of approving the Ministry’s request for Land of the National Housing Programme in Lagos.
    The Ministry is not frustrated by this lack of response and remains optimistic that a response will come from Lagos State.
    The Ministry remains committed to serving the Government and Good People of Lagos and will treat all their requests on Merit and in accordance with necessary due process as will be done to other States.
    As far as the refund of N51Billion is concerned this is not a new item. Almost all if not all states have these claims and the Federal Ministry of Power Works and Housing has verified these claims.
    What is left is the process of raising the finance to pay the Debt owed to the States.
    Those who are familiar with the workings of Government will attest to the fact that it is an intricate sequence of processses, consultation and collaboration.
    Equating processes to a lack of co-operation is therefore akin to creating a storm in a tea cup.

  • KSA embarks on Thank You tour

    KSA embarks on Thank You tour

    Following the success of December’s ‘Sunny On Sunday’ Concert, Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade, embarked on a thank you tour to some eminent Nigerians for their various roles culminating in the success of his 70th Birthday Grandstand Concert.

    Although it has been several weeks since the event held at Balmoral Marquee, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, the ‘Sunny On Sunday’ Concert left a huge mark as one of the most talked about events to be witnessed in the country. During the historic event, King Sunday’s Vintage Fender guitar, designed by the artist Victor Ehikhamenor, sold for a record N52.1 million.

    During his two-day, thank you tour, the Juju maestro crisscrossed Lagos and Abuja in the company of the Temple Management team, led by CEO/ Founder, Idris Olorunnimbe.

    At each of his stops, the juju maestro donated KSA branded materials to his VIP guests which included the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Mines and Steel, Kayode Fayemi, the current and previous MD/CEOs of Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede as well as the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Tunde Fowler.

    Other host on the whistle-stop tour included His Royal Majesty Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi and Victor Ehikhamenor who painted his famous guitar.

    The final visit was made to Babatunde Folawiyo, Chairman, Temple Management Company, who revealed that the ‘Sunny on Sunday’ was the product of an 11-year old covenant between he and KSA.

    “I have always been a Sunny Ade fan,” Mr. Folawiyo said. “We have the bad habit, as a nation, of celebrating only the dead. It was one of the proudest moments of my life for Temple Management to have the honour to serenade a living icon such as KSA.”

    The Founder/CEO, Mr. Olorunnimbe, added that despite time constraints, the Temple Management Company were able to deliver a technically flawless production.

    Another major highpoint of King Sunny visit was at the Ministry of Information and Culture where His Excellency, Lai Mohammed, announced that King Sunny Ade would be made one of the ambassadors of the ‘Change begins With Me’ campaign.

    Announcing the appointment, he said: “We are looking for people like you (King Sunny Ade) that the younger ones can look up to. It’s not just that you have been around for fifty years but you have been around for fifty years without any single stain on your part and that is very hard.

    Alhaji Mohammed eulogized King Sunny Ade for elevating the juju music genre into an international commodity that is now accepted all over the world.

    “Most people like you would have had one issue or the other that today their integrity would be at stake. Your integrity is as strong if not stronger than when you started. So it would be a pleasure if you can accept to be our Ambassador of the “Change Begins With Me”.

    “I want the younger ones to look at you and see that you can actually get to the top without cutting corners. That is exactly what you have done. You have never cut corners and you have gotten to the top. “

    While accepting the offer to serve as an Ambassador of the “Change Begins With Me” Campaign, King Sunny Ade pledged to partner with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to move the nation forward.

    “You don’t need to say much. This is what I love to do and it has been in me. We are ready to do that officially throughout the whole world,” KSA said.

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN also explained that KSA has a valuable role to play as an ambassador and change agent.

    “We are still suffering from regular attacks in the Niger Delta that affect our power generating capacity,” Fashola said. “King Sunny Ade is a national icon and he can help Government communicate our message in a language that everybody can understand.”