Nigerians Will Remain Grateful To The Fallen Heroes - Fashola The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN has Stated that Nigerians will remain ever grateful by remembering the supreme sacrifice paid by our brothers and sister who laid down their lives for the service of our father’s land, Nigeria. Fashola made the statement, on Monday, in his Mabushi office when he received in audience the National Planning Committee of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration (AFRDC) 2019 who decorated him and also commended him for his immense contributions during the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration. While been decorated alongside the Minister of State 1 for Power, Works and Housing, Hon. Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Fashola noted that the seeming peace which is being enjoyed in Nigeria is as a result of commitment and sacrifices of our fallen heroes who fought gallantly and fearlessly to defend the integrity of our father land. He however commended the Nigeria Armed Forces for being combatant ready and for exhibiting professionalism at all times. The Minister maintained that the Armed Forces Remembrance Day Celebration is an important event which should be made more elaborate by calling on all well-meaning Nigerians, friends and well-wishers to contribute generously to an endowment fund that will cater for the families who lost their beloved ones. He also suggested for an improved production and redesigning of the Emblem so as to be more appealing to the eyes while the basics and the fundamental messages remains. Earlier , Major Issa Abdulhamid who represented the Chairman , National Planning Committee of the 2019 Armed Forces  Remembrance Day Celebration, Major General Edward Chijioke Obi, disclosed that the reason of their visit was to identify with the Ministers in order to raise funds for the families of our fallen heroes and by so doing alleviate their plight and predicaments. Major Abdulhamid also thanked the Ministers for attending to members of his committee in spite of their busy schedules. ...

FG To Carry Out Remedial Works In Major Arterial Roads Across The Country- Fashola The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has disclosed that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the sum of N1.85b to carry out remedial works on the major arterial roads across the country for ease of movement and also reduce travelling hours during the ember festive period. He said that money will be released to the 37 Federal Controllers of Works to effectively carry out the reconstruction works in the identified heavy traffic routes frequently used. Fashola stated this while declaring open the Capacity Building Workshop for the Federal Controllers of Works with the theme: “Learning and Development for Greater Stature”, organized by the Ministry recently in Kaduna. The Minister encouraged the Federal Controllers to apply the principle of emotional intelligence and project management taught during the workshop, adding that Zonal Directors of Works from the Ministry would be deplored to all the zones to oversee their activities and performances during this period. Speaking earlier at the workshop, the Coordinator and Director Highways, North East Zone, Engr. Rufai Mohammed, said that part of the aims of the workshop was to discuss ways to tackle the challenges of the ember months and make necessary repairs where applicable. He noted that the workshop was to enable them achieve the set goals and accomplish government programmes and get value for money. In a related development, the Minister also visited the Kaduna Power Plant project site to assess the progress of work aimed at providing additional 215 megawatt to the nation’s power grid. He expressed satisfaction on the level and quality of job being carried out in the last one year. ...

President Buhari Reiterates Government’s Commitment To Infrastructure Development President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated the present Administration’s commitment towards massive infrastructural development in the country, saying that the Executive Order No 5 issued earlier this year is to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the various completed and on-going investments in infrastructure across the country. The President, who was represented by the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babtunde Raji Fashola SAN, stated this at the 60th Anniversary Colloquium of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) with the theme: “Re- Engineering the Engineers for Optimum National Economic Growth and Development”, held today at the NAF Conference Centre and Suites, Abuja. Fashola disclosed that the policy of infrastructural development embarked upon by the present Administration will bring about a total diversification of “our economy away from oil dependence and open new opportunities for prosperity to Nigerians”. He further explained that the Executive Order No 5 on local content is a step towards ensuring that, in the short term, the economic benefits of these investments in infrastructure are maximized for the benefits of Nigerians. Fashola noted that massive projects like the Kano-Maiduguri dualisation, the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway, the East - West road, Lagos- Ibadan expressway, the Benin- Okene- Lokoja dualisation, the 2nd Niger Bridge, the Bodo- Bonny highway, and the Mambilla Hydro Power will form the foundation for building the country’s prosperity. He said, “these projects and many others like our rail projects from Lagos – Kano, Port Harcourt to Maiduguri and Air and Sea Ports at various stages of completion will form the foundation for building our household of prosperity.” The Minister revealed that a snap audit of 77 works construction sites and 50 housing sites was conducted to ascertain the number of foreigners employed on those sites which showed that more Nigerians are employed on these sites. Earlier, the President of NSE, Engineer Adekunle Olumuyiwa Mokuolu, in his welcome address, disclosed that the association which was founded in 1958 by young and vibrant Nigerian engineers to build a cohesive organisation for recognition of their professional expertise. He noted that the tenacity of the founding fathers has not faltered. He further noted that NSE has become “a veritable platform for true professional development of Engineers and the vehicle for driving the technological advancement of our country”. Presentations of “Diamond Jubilee Awards,” an appreciation award, were presented by the Minister, on behalf of the NSE, to some past presidents of the Society for their commitment.   ...