Categories: Economy

Federal Govt. Has Not Done Enough In Maintaining Infrastructure – Fashola

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has stated that the Federal Government has not done enough in the area of maintenance of infrastructure across the country.

The Minister said this while receiving an award of recognition from the Association of Indigenous Construction Contractors of Nigeria as a result of the regular payment of the Federal Government’s contractors in the last one and a half years.

Fashola, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Communications, Hakeem Bello, told his guests that another area where massive scope existed for partnership was in the maintenance sector, adding that the ministry was already working on setting up an infrastructure maintenance framework.

Fashola was quoted as saying, “Whatever we build is built to a design life, subject to certain types of maintenance, and that is an area that we haven’t really done enough.”

He said the ministry was working to develop a pilot maintenance framework, starting with government’s buildings.

“Hopefully, maybe in the 2019 budget, if we are lucky, we will be able to put a sizeable global maintenance budget for the first time and see how to engage labour and contracting companies to help grow the economy,” he explained.

The minister called for improvement within the framework of the indigenous construction companies, as he told his visitors that “you have to compete and you have to improve your capacity.”

In his remarks, the President, AICCON, Lekan Osifeso, commended Fashola for the regular payment of contractors, as he noted that the annual size of the construction industry in Nigeria was N1tn, while the contribution of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing was in excess of N200bn.
Osifeso, however, noted that unfortunately the bulk of the funds was lost to capital flight as a result of the non-patronage of local contractors over the years.

He said if indigenous contractors were adequately patronised and made to participate increasingly in the industry, capital flight cases would drop by as much as 60 per cent.

“Our mission is in line with Mr. President’s Executive Order 5 that clearly supports the participation of indigenous construction contractors by the government by way of commitment to patronage,” Osifeso was quoted as saying.

SOURCE: PUNCH

jorjapaxson3737

View Comments

  • This is a welcomed development. I hope to live up to when Africa stops taking aids. We have more than what it takes to lead the world. All we need do is conquer our inner strive and differences. God bless the FRN.

Recent Posts

25-Year-Old Stabs Father To Death

A 25-year-old man, Chibunna Chiemelie, is under investigation by the Lagos State Police Command for…

21 mins ago

Rivers Poll: Decide If You Want To Remove Your Uniform, Join APC – HURIWA Chides IG

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has berated the Inspector General of Police, Kayode…

35 mins ago

NSCDC Arrests Fake Security Guards With Three Guns

Five e suspected illegal private security guards have been arrested by the Anambra State Command…

1 hour ago

Africa’s Top 10 Strongest Currencies

Africa has a wide range of currencies across its countries, each with its own history…

1 hour ago

You’ll Have To Shoot Me To Stop LG Election – Fubara Dares IGP

Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, has accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun,…

2 hours ago

Six Years Later, Pastor Adeboye Apologizes For Claiming Non-Tithers Won’t Enter Heaven (Video)

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has…

5 hours ago

This website uses cookies.