FG’s Investments in Roads, Bridges, Other Social Capital Projects Aimed at Creating Choice, Imminent Prosperity - Fashola •    Says Lagos - Badagry Expressway, Second Niger Bridge, Others making rapid progress with dedicated funding The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN has said that the commitment of the Federal Government to public assets like roads, bridges, ports, dam and other social capital investments is aimed at creating choice and imminent prosperity for the citizenry. Noting that the choice would come in form of reduced journey time and better travel experience, the Minister also assured that the Federal Government will complete Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the Second Niger Bridge and other critical road transport infrastructure of the nation soon. Fashola, who spoke while hosting a team of senior management staff from the PUNCH Newspapers, led by the PUNCH Editor, Mr Dayo Oketola, said that the Federal Government has gotten N16bn Tax Credit Fund for the construction of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. Fashola stated that the speed of work on that road, as well as some others, were dependent on the funds available for such projects adding that with the Tax Credit Fund work was progressing substantially on that axis. Defending borrowing to finance infrastructure, he said, the Buhari Administration has paid over N700 billion since coming into government which was part of the debt left by previous Administrations. According to the Minister, borrowing as an essential component of public finance becomes necessary in order to be able to respond to the unceasing request for vital infrastructure from the citizenry. “The public assets – roads, bridges, highways, ports, dams are the social capital investments that the government must make” for individuals and businesses to get on with their life. According to the Minister, such investments create choice and ultimately prosperity. “All of us know the impact of choice in our lives, if you have to wear only one clothe as against if you have four… You are going to have two Bridges across the Niger, it’s a sign of imminent prosperity, that is what is being done now…” Explaining that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was responding to the infrastructural needs of the various parts of the country through a combination of borrowing and various innovative funding initiatives. “You are complaining about debt, where do you think, money is going to come from to build the Badagry road? So that is why there was no progress on it in the past.” He added, “But the reason why there has been an appreciable progress now on that road is because we got Tax Credit Fund for it.’’ On the Lagos-Ota Road, Fashola said the contract sum was over N50bn, “but go and look in the budget and see how much is there (for the road), may be N200m,” adding that with the injection of N7bn this year work progressed on the road. Speaking on the forthcoming election, Fashola opined that it was important to have the next election focus on the issue of public financing knowledge because often times the nation go into election without debate about funding and to find out where the money is going to come from when aspirants make promises. "Somebody has to pay for it. It is either debt or increase on taxation or better still through private investment, this, the Ministry is currently doing something in that direction through the Tax Credit Scheme, the Highway Development Management Initiative which is trying to concession 12 highways." Responding to the question on subsidy, the Minister stated that, what a Nation wants to do is determined by its leadership and that the issue of subsidy would be best addressed by the Nigerian people themselves through their representatives at the National Assembly. "I agreed that the amount of money that is committed to a single product in terms of subsidy is a matter for concern and I think it is a debate we have shied away from. The matter is a combination of policy and economy and cannot be separated."  He added that if it were simply an economic decision, it would have been removed. "So, it is the decision of the Nigerian people. If they take that decision, government will implement it," he said. Earlier, the leader of the Nigerian Punch Newspaper Management Team, an Editor, Mr. Dayo Oketola commended the Minister for the numerous programmes and projects embarked upon since assumption of office. He noted that The Punch Newspaper will as a medium continue to inform Nigerians and also to educate them saying the organization are partners in progress with the government of the day. " We believe in the project Nigeria and we pray and hope it will work," he said. ...

Works Ministry Organizes Health Talk for Directors. In a bid to create awareness on health-related matters that will greatly enhance productivity, more so to aid the life expectancy of serving Officers, the Ministry of Works and Housing has organized a one-day Workshop on Health matters for Directors of the Ministry, Wednesday, July 20, 2022. The one-day workshop is on: stress management, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, work-life balance of and Cardiac Arrest. The workshop was Organized in recognition of the important roles Directors plays in their fields and capacity in managing staff and material resources of their departments. In his opening address before declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary Of the Ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, FCA, FCTI said that the objective of the workshop is to create awareness on early detection of some health-related challenges that are life-threatening diseases before they become intractable. Mr Bashir Nura Alkali added that the Ministry has maintained a robust plan as part of its efforts to improve the welfare and general well-being of its staff as part of its reward system.  " It is my pleasure therefore to underline that the health plan which initially began as a bi-monthly routine medical check-up has been scaled up to include an annual health talk for all staff of the Ministry",  he said. Alkali encouraged the Directors to reap the full benefits of the health talk and promised that the health talk workshop would be extended to other categories of staff of the Ministry. The workshop was Organized by Elyon Synergy Ltd, Lagos, in conjunction with the Ministry of Works and Housing. The two Medical Doctors who delivered the talks are Dr. Jacob Nwanchukwu a stress management consultant and Prof. David.A. Oke, the current Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. Some of the important health topics discussed included: Prevention and Control of Hypertension, Economic Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases. Discussed extensively also were, kidney functions, failure and treatment, modern methods of diabetic management, sudden death and technology of medical devices. Others are high cholesterol and physical exercise for fitness, finance, wellness and stress-free investments were emphasized. The workshop was well attended by the Directors of the Ministry because of the invaluable benefit of health in relation with their work fields and capacities. Giving his Vote of Thanks, the Director, Human Resources, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi, appreciated the Honourable Ministers for granting approval for this health talk for the Directors of the Ministry. He said that for the workshop to get its approval, the Ministers and the Permanent Secretary truly demonstrated that they value the Management of the Ministry and therefore take seriously the health issues of its staff. " It is highly commendable and we should take the health tips serious as recommended by our health experts," he said. ...

Our Commitment to Infrastructure Development Bearing Results - Buhari President Muhamadu Buhari has said that the commitment of his administration in infrastructure development across the nation is already bearing results.  The President spoke over the weekend in Gashua, Yobe State, north-eastern Nigeria during the official commissioning and handover of the completed section I phase II and section II phase I of the Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari road.   President Buhari was represented at the event by the Honourable Minister of Power, Engr Abubakar D. Aliyu, FNSE. “Our commitment to improving road transport infrastructure, our determination to improve the ease of doing business, create jobs and prosperity to lift people out of poverty brings us here today because the results of our investment are manifesting,” he said. Accordingly, he explained that the road has been built to the highest quality of design and workmanship and if well used and not abused, it should last for the designed service life. While assuring Nigerians about the desire of his administration to complete all ongoing projects, President Buhari said “I can confidently say that as we enter the final lap of the tenure of the Buhari administration we are also entering a season of completion and delivery of projects.” The President also cautioned Nigerians to desist from indiscreet road abuses, comply with the highway code, and reminded them to adhere to the maximum 100 kilometers per hour speed limit on Federal Highways nationwide. “Now that we have this new and well-built road, we have duties to ourselves and to other road users and one of those duties is to ensure that we drive in accordance with the law as stipulated in the Highway Code.” He listed the road abuses to include: overloading of vehicles which accelerates pavement damage; spilling of petroleum products, which dissolves all the components and allows water to penetrate, and converting the road shoulders to permanent parking places, that brings the onset of road failure from the shoulder. " Nigerian citizens should do their best to avoid these practices, and to report them when they occur and also act in a lawful manner to stop them" he said. Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola represented by the Director Highways, North-East, Engr Celestine Shawusu, said that the projects represent major investment in road Transport infrastructure, which was a commitment of the Buhari administration as a driver for economic growth and prosperity. He explained that the projects were visible and incontrovertible assets in proof of what Nigeria’s resources are invested in, from a combination of our earned resources, and borrowings. Fashola also acknowledged and commended the commitment of the President and his Vice, the professionalism of staff of the Ministry in the delivering of the projects and the support of Ministers in the Federal Executive Council and the members of the National Assembly, especially the Chairmen of the Senate and House Committees on Works in the 8th and 9th Assembly for their support. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Bashir Nura Alkali, represented by the Yobe State Federal Controller of Works, Engr O.B. Akinmade, said that the administration of President Muhamadu Buhari has focused its attention on the completion of several on-going projects to stimulate economic development, create jobs and promote local content. He explained that it was part of the developmental agenda of the administration in addressing road infrastructural development of Nigeria. “The focus is to link the major arterial roads to refineries, ports, tertiary institutions and high-volume commercial centers with a view to reducing travel times, vehicle maintenance costs, safety and security of commuters.” he said. In his remarks, Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni stated that the project was both historic and important to the State. He said after several years of neglect by previous governments, the Buhari's administration has been able to rehabilitate the road for our use. He said: " the importance of the road to the socio-economic development cannot be overemphasized." On his part, the Emir of Bade, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Suleiman thanked President Buhari and said that ten years ago, journey from Nguru to Gashua usually takes them about two and half hour, but they now make the journey in less than forty-five minutes. "This has facilitated movement of goods from our farms to the market thereby boosting our economic activities," he said. A road user by name Abubakar Babaginda commended Federal Government for the road saying travel time has reduced drastically. " Before now we find it difficult to ply this road, we spend many hours to get to Gashua due to the bad road, but now we spend fewer time. We are grateful, " he said. ...