The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has assured Nigerians that the Federal Government will complete the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Road, Lagos before 2018.

Fashola said the road projects in the country were prioritised by the government, based on the six geographical zones.

While revealing that the government inherited a debt of N1tn as outstanding payments to road contractors across the country, the Minister disclosed that N50bn had been proposed for the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Fashola made this disclosure on Tuesday while addressing a joint session of the House of Representatives Committees on Works/Power/Housing in Abuja.

“The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has been prioritised as a major traffic artery. The bulk of our imported cargo comes from Apapa, Tin Can ports through this road to other parts of the country.”

“Food items and livestock from the North also reach the South-West and other areas through the road. It’s in our national economic interest to fix this road. Every zone of the country will be essentially served within available resources.”

“There is a government policy on tolling, which is still being fine-tuned at the Federal Executive Council level. It will soon get to you (the National Assembly). For long, we have not been paying for services. We have to tell ourselves the truth now that this is the way forward.”

“There are contractors, who have collected advance payment of 70 per cent and they are still not on site. In the environment where I came from, we will not give you a kobo until you have completed the job.”

Mazi Emeka