Works ministry confirms kick off of NNPC tax road projects

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has confirmed that work is ongoing on the NNPC tax credit road projects across the country.

The confirmation is coming on the heels of a protest by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) last Wednesday over the failure of the federal government to fix the 21 critical federal roads worth N621bn within the timeline NNPC Limited had agreed, alleging that the fund was being diverted.

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In a statement issued by the spokesman of the ministry, Boade Akinola, the ministry said it did not keep the fund, even as it said some contractors confirmed funds had been released to them for the projects, with ongoing works on the Suleja-Minna highway and the Lambata-Lapai-Bida road in Niger State.

The Director, Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation in the ministry, Engr Folorunso Esan, in the statement, confirmed the inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the Suleja-Minna highway, Phases I and II; and the reconstruction of Lambata -Lapai-Bida road which are among the critical roads to be financed under the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme.

Mr Esan further said adequate funds had been released to the contractors through the governance process established to ensure prompt delivery of the road projects, adding that no contractor had any reason not to deliver as scheduled.

The symbolic cheque presentation for the 21 roads by NNPC was done on December 21, 2021, by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola.

The ministry said given the governance process put in place for the scheme, it was impossible for ministry officials or any other person to “hijack” the fund for any other purpose.

Mr Esan said, “We are expecting that before the rainy season, all the challenging spots will be addressed so that outcry from the truck and tanker drivers will not be there.”

He further said the Suleja-Minna dualisation planned to be completed in January, 2024, would be completed much earlier due to the fund.

On the Bida- Lapai-Lambata road, the Federal Controller of Works, Niger State, Engr Samotu Moshood, explained that 46km, amounting to 36 per cent of the work, had been completed and that before the rainy season commenced, the work would reach Lapai, another 60km, and to Agaie, another 80km before the year ran ended.