“When he said the National Assembly imported projects into the 2017 budget, he did not mention that these include the 26 projects which the Federal Government approved in the 2016 budget, awarded contract for them in January 2016, but totally omitted them in the 2017 budget.
“One of them is the Abuja-Kaduna road. These ones would have become abandoned projects.
“We reduced funds across board to make provision for these omitted projects that are of critical importance to the socio-economic development of the country in line with equity and fair play.
“Mr. Fashola obviously wants the Federal Ministry of Works to have many construction projects it can award contracts for.
“That is why he would always oppose any attempt to allow the private sector financing initiatives through Public Private Partnerships or other levels of Government to fund construction of roads under the control of the Federal Government.
“That was why he waited until he was arm-twisted on the Lagos Airport road before he allowed the Lagos State Government take up the reconstruction, using private funds.
“Same thing happened to the proposal for the Apapa Wharf road, which was frustrated for over a year before the stakeholders reined in the Ministry to grudgingly approve that Dangote and Flour Mills should take over the project.
“It should also be explained that nobody introduced budgetary provisions for the sinking of boreholes and construction of clinics under the budget of the Works division of the Ministry.
“However, the Housing division would ordinarily have provision for such facilities in its estimate, so as to meet the Sustainable Development Goals as provided for by the United Nations.
“This is aimed at reducing slums and improve the well-being of our citizenry.
“The National Assembly already have an agreement with the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, that if for example, the Private Finance Initiative does not materialize to provide the needed funds for the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, just as in other areas where government has issues with the budget, the instruments of Virement and supplementary budget can be used.
“This is as a result of our belief that it is one Government and we all share the gains of the successes and pains of the failure.
“However, with all these blackmail game and backbiting going on, they are already laying the foundation for the failure of the agreement with the Executive”, he stated.
Abdullahi added that the National Assembly acted in the national interest to ensure equity and fairness is achieved in the distribution of projects.
Also, to ensure that all sections of the country have representation in the national budget as guaranteed by the Nigerian constitution.
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