I Was Quoted Out Of Context On State Of Roads, Says Fashola

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, at the weekend said that he was quoted out of context by some sections of the media on the state of federal roads in the country.

Fashola gave the clarification in Ilara-Mokin, Ifedore Local Council of Ondo State while commissioning a six-kilometre road project funded by the founder of Elizade University, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo.

The minister said that he never said Nigerians had been exaggerating the state of roads across the country, adding that he never used the word exaggeration but was quoted out of context.

On those who challenged him to tour the Nigerian roads, he said he had travelled round the country on roads to access condition of federal roads with an assurance that the Federal Government would soon commence fixing of the bad roads based on priority list.

“Let me start from the journey by roads to the 36 states. I have travelled this country by roads for 12 hours everyday and I know what I saw and I have also said what I wanted to say at that press conference. I didn’t use the word exaggerated, but go and listen to what I have said,” he said.

The minister, who urged well-to-do individuals, groups and corporate organisations to contribute towards the infrastructural development of their communities to ensure development within communities, said: “I want us to understand that infrastructure of any type, particularly road construction, are basis for developing economy because of the value change, construction, mining, transport, logistics, labour, and so on. So, many professionals and non-professionals, skilled and unskilled workers earn a living from it.

“But the long-term impact is the inter-communal relationship, integration, exchange for commerce, social and cultural relationship. So, you will see from here that Ikota and Ilara-Mokin are bond by road and and you will witness more development, better understanding, inter-marriages and other things, among them.

“The recommendation I have is that this kind of communal roads that are local council roads, individuals can invest in them, help their communities where they are able to do so, either in groups, individuals or even in clusters. It is going to take everybody to build this nation.”

Fashola, while lauding the kind gestures of Ade-Ojo who had singlehandedly developed his community with his personal wealth, reiterated that the Federal Government would not refund any state that rehabilitates or reconstructs federal roads, adding that the bill for road refund from state governments was on the high side amounting to N500 billion.