Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has said that the Federal Government would refund the money expended for the construction of federal roads in Yobe State.
Fashola, who was in Yobe to assess the federal roads constructed by the state government. said that the refund would be initiated after the completion of evaluation exercise of the roads.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister inspected and assessed the 57 Kilometer Nguru-Machina and 31km Gashua-Yusufari roads.
Fashola said the state government had requested for the reimbursement of the amount expended on the roads, adding that the road projects were completed by the previous administrations.
“Some states got their own refund last year; we just received another request from some states including Yobe and Kebbi, that they had been omitted in the refund.
“That is why the president reconstituted a presidential committee with me as the chairman.
“As you can see; the roads were not done today, so we will assess, go back and report for the consideration of the government,” he said.
On flood control projects, Fashola said that heavy equipment had been deployed to the Zangon Shanu pond in Nguru town, to control perennial flooding in the area.
The pond, he said, triggered flooding in Nguru town annually, noting that the deployment was under a special repair contract awarded by the ministry.
The minister said the pond was created as a result of excavation of construction materials in the area.
In his remarks, Alhaji Baba Wali, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), disclosed that the state government had spent over N20 billion on construction of various federal roads covering 268 kilometers.
Wali listed the roads to include: Damaturu-Magza, Nguru-Machina, Gashua-Yusufari, Kaliyari-Bayamari-Geidam and Kanamma-Yusufari.
NAN also reports that the minister was accompanied in the visit by the Speaker, Yobe State House of Assembly, Alhaji Lawan Mirwa and the state Commissioner of Works, Alhaji Umar Duddaye, among others. (NAN)
