Fashola replies Ambode, accuses Lagos governor of misleading Nigerians
A day after the Lagos State governor accused the
Federal Ministry of Works of frustrating some of
his plans in Lagos State, the minister has replied.
In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on
Wednesday, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode
accused the federal ministry of two things: failure
to allow the state government rebuild the Oshodi
road that leads to the Lagos Airport and failure to
ensure the proper handover of the Presidential
Lodge in Lagos to the state government as
directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
On Thursday, the Works minister, Babatunde
Fashola, who is Mr. Ambode’s predecessor as
Lagos governor, denied the allegations.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Hakeem
Bello, Mr. Fashola said his “response is to ensure
that members of the public are not misled by
deliberate or inadvertent mis-statements” of the
Lagos governor.
The minister explained that the request of the
Lagos government to take over the Oshodi-airport
road, as well as three other federal roads in the
state, was still being discussed at the Federal
Executive Council.
“Federal Executive Council Memorandum are
debated and commented upon by all members
and in cases of roads, surveys, maps and other
material have to be provided to assist members
understand the location and connectivity of the
roads, (in this case Four roads), in order to assist
how they vote on the Memorandum,” Mr. Bello
said.
On the presidential lodge, Mr. Fashola’s aide said
it was currently being run by the presidency and
that his ministry was working with relevant
security officials for the handover.
“The Presidential Lodge is a high security location
and officials of the Ministry also require security
clearance to enter in order to do any works,” he
said.
Mr. Bello, who listed some other areas the works
ministry has cooperated with the Lagos
government, then questioned his successor’s
motive for the allegations.
“The motive behind these public accusations must
therefore be scrutinised coming barely a week
after the Governor spoke with the Honourable
Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN on the
outstanding requests of the state for several
minutes …”
Read the works minister’s full reaction below:
The attention of the Federal Ministry of Power,
Works and Housing has been drawn to certain
statements credited to the Governor of Lagos
State, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode claiming that the
“Federal Ministry of Works“ has been frustrating
the efforts of his administration to carry out a
“total reconstruction of the International Airport
Road from Oshodi.”
The Governor also reportedly accused the
“Federal Ministry of Works and Housing” and
Security Services of denying the State Government
access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos six
months after President Muhammadu Buhari
approved it off for the State.
This response is to ensure that members of the
public are not misled by deliberate or inadvertent
mis-statements.
The allegations of lack of cooperation from the
Ministry and frustration of Lagos State
Government development initiatives are simply
not true and the facts do not bear them out.
In 2016, the Hon Minister for Power Works and
Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN,
approved the use of the Federal Ministry of works
yard at Oworonsoki for Lagos State Government to
create a lay-by to ease traffic.
The Hon Minister also approved that Lagos State
be granted the Rights to manage the Street
Lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge to support
the security initiatives of the State, a request
which the previous Federal Government
administration had denied Lagos State for years.
During the same year the Hon Minister also
supported the approval of the World Bank Loan of
$200m to Lagos State, again a request the
previous administration had denied Lagos State.
As far as International Airport Road which is
currently the ground for alleged “frustration” is
concerned, the correct position is that the Lagos
State Government presented a request for FOUR
roads that it would wish to take over.
This is consistent with the position being
canvassed by the Hon Minister for States who are
interested to apply to take over Roads that are
within their States.
The Ministry has presented the Memorandum
conveying the request of the Lagos State
Government to the Federal Executive Council as
was done with a similar request by the Kaduna
State Government in 2016.
Due to the fact that TWO of the roads also connect
Ogun State, the Federal Executive Council could
not reach an immediate decision on them because
it requested the input of the other State
Government affected.
The Kaduna State Government requested the
Federal Government to transfer two roads within
Kaduna Metropolis to the State in November 2015.
Due process was followed and the request of the
State Government was approved in August 2016, a
period of ten months.
Federal Executive Council Memorandum are
debated and commented upon by all members
and in cases of roads, surveys, maps and other
material have to be provided to assist members
understand the location and connectivity of the
roads, (in this case Four roads), in order to assist
how they vote on the Memorandum.
As far as the Presidential Lodge is concerned, it is
under the management of the Presidency and not
the Ministry.
After the approval by Mr President that the
Presidential Lodge be handed over to the State
Government, there was a directive to the Ministry
to work out the modalities for handing over.
The Ministry has prepared a vesting instrument to
convey the transfer and all that is needed is a
survey plan.
The Presidential Lodge is a high security location
and officials of the Ministry also require security
clearance to enter in order to do any works.
Access to the lodge is not under the control of the
Ministry.
The motive behind these public accusations must
therefore be scrutinized coming barely a week
after the Governor spoke with the Honourable
Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN on the
outstanding requests of the State for several
minutes and the Minister took time to explain the
situation of things to the Governor. (The first
telephone conversation the Governor has had with
the Minister since May 29, 2015).
If there is any lack of co-operation it is on the part
of the State Government that has refused to
acknowledge not to talk of approving the
Ministry’s request for Land of the National
Housing Programme in Lagos.
The Ministry is not frustrated by this lack of
response and remains optimistic that a response
will come from Lagos State.
The Ministry remains committed to serving the
Government and Good People of Lagos and will
treat all their requests on Merit and in
accordance with necessary due process as will be
done to other States.
As far as the refund of N51Billion is concerned
this is not a new item. Almost all if not all states
have these claims and the Federal Ministry of
Power Works and Housing has verified these
claims.
What is left is the process of raising the finance to
pay the Debt owed to the States.
Those who are familiar with the workings of
Government will attest to the fact that it is an
intricate sequence of processes, consultation and
collaboration.
Equating processes to a lack of co-operation is
therefore akin to creating a storm in a tea cup.
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