House To Probe N1.38 Trillion
Roads Fund
The Nigerian House of
Representatives has indicated its readiness to beam its
searchlight on the road sector.
To this end, over 250 members of the legislative chamber have
signed a motion seeking to investigate the N1.38 trillion
reportedly expended on roads in the country during the
administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and
determine whether or not Nigerians got value for the fund.
The House will also review some current special projects,
including Private Partnership Projects (PPP) and the
Presidential Initiatives Projects (PIP).
This was confirmed in Abuja, the nation’s capital by Chairman,
House Committee on Works, Chuma Nzeribe, who also disclosed that
the motion to launch a comprehensive probe into the activities
of the ministry of works since 1999 would soon come to the floor
of the legislative chamber.
Nzeribe said the proposed investigation would assist a great
deal in repositioning the ministry and agencies within it.
The motion read in part: "Note that the Federal Ministry of
Transport (Works Section) awarded various contracts for the
construction of roads, bridges and the maintenance of roads
across the country from May 1999 till date to the tune of about
N1 trillion”.
maintenance of our road network in spite of huge budgetary
allocations."
The movers of the motion posited that the investigation sought
would help the House in identifying all abandoned roads and
maintenance projects across the country and investigate reason
for such abandonment, if any.
Nzeribe also said the committee would review the scope of "road
construction in the country and adduce reasons for its dominance
by foreign firms with huge foreign capital outlay and very
little or no technological transfer to the nation."
NP/MICHAEL
