The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr.Babatunde Fashola, on Wednesday said seven Federal Government projects, totalling N18.186bn were abandoned in Osun State by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP-led Federal Government.
He mentioned Gbongan-Iwo road, Ilesha-Osogbo road, Construction of Illie bridge, Ile-ife-Ifewara road, and Mayfair-Lagere road among others as some of the abandoned projects with attendant socioeconomic predicament for the affected communities.
Fashola, who was represented by the Federal Controller of Works in Osun State, Engineer Ezekiah Kehinde on Media inspection tour of all the Federal Government projects in the state hinted that the Buhari administration became worry over the development upon assumption of office in 2015.
He explained that contractors handling those projects had complained of paucity of funds to continue with the projects as a result of failure of the previous administration to pay them.
“The rate at which several important projects were abandoned in the state became a source of worry for this administration upon assumption of office, hence the urgent need for prompt intervention.
“The Federal Government considered those projects as fundamental for the socioeconomic survival of the people in those areas. Which informed the urgency in which those contractors were brought back to site and outstanding debts were cleared.
“Also, four more projects were added, totalling N8.45bn, which include the construction of Ila-Ora-Ekanmeje road, and emergency intervention at Ibodi-Ilesha road among others.
“It would have amount to waste of resources and insensitivity on the part of government if those projects were left there abandoned, after spending several billions to mobilise contractors to site.
“I can authoritatively tell you now that the Federal Government is not owing any contractor a dime any longer,” he said.
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