Senate Battles Fashola Over Benue South Deplorable Roads

• Denies complicity, insists on putting records straight

BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI, ABUJA – The Nigerian Senate has denied being complicit in the current deplorable state of roads in Benue State as alleged by the Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

In debunking claims associating the National Assembly with the roads’ poor conditions, the Upper legislative Chamber frowned at attempt to set it on collision course with the electorate.

The Works Minister was quoted as making the allegation in Abuja when retired Generals and ‘other leaders of thought’ from Benue South Senatorial District led by Air Vice Marshal Morgan, visited his office to complaint about distressing roads in the senatorial district.

However, reacting to the claims, Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ajibola Basiru said NASS cannot and should not be held responsible for the deplorable state of roads whether in Benue State or any part of the country.

Further washing its hands off the problem, Senator Ajibola said in a media statement on Sunday that “the decision to respond to the claims by the Minister became imperative in view of setting the records straight, particularly against the backdrop of how critical the issue of road infrastructure is to the nation’s development.

“The attention of the Senate was recently drawn to disturbing and erroneous claims made by the Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

“Much as the upper chamber would not want to engage in any unnecessary altercation with the Minister, it is however necessary to speak up because the issue of roads infrastructure is too important and controversial a matter to be ignored where the National Assembly has been fingered by a serving Minister.

“The records must be set right so that the two arms of government should not be seen as working at cross purposes in the course of delivering good governance to electorates.”

The Senate Spokesman further said; “For the 2020 fiscal year, the National Assembly approved the request for 265, 868, 037,093 billion Naira for capital expenditure by the Executive”, adding; “The Executive later brought a revised allocation of 256, 734,983,667 billion Naira which we also appropriated. As we speak, even in the budget proposal for 2021, the Executive proposed a capital expenditure of 363, 266, 425, 976 billion Naira.”

According to Senator Ajibola, “The upper chamber cannot help but wonder where Mr. Fashola got his figure of 600 billion naira which he said was proposed by his ministry and allegedly not approved by the National Assembly.

“The Senate, therefore, invites Nigerians and specifically the Minister’s guests from Benue South Senatorial District to note that figures do not lie.”

The Senate Spokesman listed three road constructions which are ongoing in Benue South to include: Oju -Adum Okuku road at N 91,180 000; Oturko Township road at N357 200, 000; and Oju/Loko – Oweto bridge at a cost of N357, 200, 000.

The Senate spokesman further described allegations by the Minister for Works, suggesting that the National Assembly gave priority to constituency projects over other projects as an attempt to incite Nigerians against the Legislative arm of government.

“On the Minister’s allegation that priority is given to constituency projects over other projects, is an attempt to set the National Assembly on collision course with the people they are democratically representing.

“It should be emphasized, therefore, that never has allocations specifically meant for other projects been diverted to constituency projects as the later have specific allocations in the budget,” the Senate Spokesperson said.