Assembly seeks N52b refund over federal roads rehabilitation

THE Lagos State House of Assembly has urged the Federal Government to refund the sum of N52 billion that Lagos has spent in repairing federal roads in the last eight years.

Raising the issue under Matter of Urgent Public Importance on Tuesday, the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Olumuyiwa Jimoh, who congratulated the new Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola on his appointment, said the refund was necessary to help the state attend to other important projects.

Jimoh added that the Federal Government should complete on-going projects in the state and pay attention to other laudable projects that would help the development of the state.

Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said that it was important to remind Fashola the challenges facing the state, having served in the state for eight years.

According to Obasa, “He has also been in the forefront of the repair of Federal roads in Lagos State and the refund of money expended on federal roads by the state government.

“We must write a letter to the minister to call their attention to the urgent need to repair federal roads in the state. It is better to make this appeal before the work load of handling three major areas of government becomes much,” he said.

Member of the House, Abiodun Tobun, advised Fashola to give Lagos a priority, as all families in Nigeria are represented in here.

Tobun said most business outlets have their headquarters in Lagos State and that President Muhammadu Buhari gave Fashola the job as Works Minister based on his performance in Lagos.

Another lawmaker, Bisi Yusuf, said the time was right to make the call as motorists spend as much as 10 to 15 hours on Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway due to gridlock. “Lagos must be given a special status. Special funds should be earmarked for the development of the state. Fashola should pay a special attention to Lagos State,” he said.

In his view, the Majority Leader of the House, Sanai Agunbiade, also agreed that the appointment of Fashola as Works, Power and Housing Minister was based on his performance as the governor of Lagos State.