Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of WorksandHousing, has expressed delight that contrary to the earlier impression created in some quarters, the road development scheme was attracting other sectors of the economy, including the manufacturing and telecommunications firms.
The Minister, who said some of the roads had subsisting contracts over ten years old, pointed out that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, was not taking over but funding the roads to ensure completion.
He added that one of the things the government has done is to ask the contractors that they should not demand the review of the contracts throughout the projects.
Fashola Gives Assurance on Unpaid Certificates
The Minister assured that all the unpaid certificates that existed before the scheme was approved and all the certificates that budget provisions were inadequate to pay would be paid from signing the contract with the NNPC.
He added that what it meant was that there would be money to pay the contractors, who would, in turn, pay their suppliers of construction materials in the chain of distribution of wealth across the divide.
He explained that some roads like Apapa-Oworonasoki and Obajana-Kabba had no previous contracts. Those on the tax credit scheme were allowed to choose their contractors. At the same time, the Ministry still acts as a supervisor.
Fashola stressed that the difference between them was that the 21 roads which affect the NNPC distribution operations were already under contract.
