Fashola: Aggressive Work to Resume on Road Projects After Release of SUKUK Funds

Emmanuel Addeh

Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) has said that massive work on road projects being funded through the SUKUK would begin in weeks as the ministry awaits the release the fund for 2021 and 2022.

Fashola gave the assurance while speaking after inspecting the ongoing “dualisation” of the Kano-Katsina road phases I and II in Kano and Kaduna States.

“The minister of finance has told us that very soon the SUKUK fund for 2021 and 2022 will be ready for release and that will be in a couple of weeks from now, so that all of the backlog of funding on works and certificates that have accrued will be paid and work can continue,” he said.

The minister expressed satisfaction on the progress of the project, which was a single carriageway before the decision to expand it to a dual carriageway, thereby making it more efficient for the increased volume of traffic in the area.

On the Issue of compensation for the people affected by the project, Fashola said that it was essentially a state government responsibility because of the power granted to the states under the constitution with respect to land control.

“What we need really is the right of way, this is the cooperation needed from the states,” he explained.

He however expressed confidence that the challenge of compensation will soon be over with the assurance given by the Kano state government that steps were being taken to settle it and hoped that the Katsina state government would do the same.

He explained that the reason why some sections of the roads were skipped was because of the pending issues of compensation, adding that as soon as they were settled, the contractors will return to those portions to do their work.

The minister described the road as strategic because serves the biggest grain market in the country from where goods are moved to as far as Libya.

On the economic and social significance of the roads to the people, Fashola said when contractors get money they pay their own suppliers like those who supply asphalt, crush stones, sand and others, thereby redistributing the wealth of the nation around the economy and creating employment in the process.

Fashola said when the president said he was going to lift 100 million people out of poverty; he was referring to the employment that would be generated through investment in infrastructure development.

He stated that with the support of the president, his ministry will continue to implement programmes that will engender the distribution of the wealth of the country to people at the lowest bottom of the pyramid.

“These were the things the president referred to when he said he wanted to remove 100 million people out of poverty,” he said
“As you build efficiency, you are building prosperity. Even though the president cannot reach physically everyone individually, he is having a handshake with the people through infrastructural development, “Fashola said.

Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Kano State, Yahaya Ali, informed the minister and his entourage that the “dualisation” of the 73 kilometres Kano – Katsina road phase I begins from Dawanau roundabout in Kano and terminates at the Katsina border.

The road, he said, serves the biggest grain market in the country, which is located at Dawanau in Kano State.

Ali also informed the minister that the contractor had completed work on the construction of additional carriageway, while the reconstruction of the old carriageway had reached 30 percent.

The representative of the CCECC, the construction company handling the project, Mr Ren Shaoshuri gave the assurance that the project, which had reached 83 per cent will be completed on target if funding is provided.