Fashola denies frustrating Lagos State Govt.

The Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing says allegation that it is frustrating the developmental initiatives of Lagos State Government is untrue.

Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode had recently accused the ministry of frustrating his administration’s efforts to carry out a total reconstruction of the International Airport Road from Oshodi.

Ambode also reportedly accused the ministry and security agents of denying the state government access to the Presidential Lodge in Lagos, six months after President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval.

A statement on Friday in Abuja by Mr Hakeem Bello, Special Adviser, Communications to the ministry, said the minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola, had in 2016 approved the use of the Ministry of Works yard at Oworonsoki for Lagos State Government to create a lay-by to ease traffic.

It further said that Fashola had also approved Lagos government’s request to manage the street lighting on the 3rd Mainland Bridge to support the security initiatives of the state.

It said the ministry also supported the approval of a World Bank loan of 200 million dollars to Lagos State, a request denied it by the previous administration.

On the International Airport Road being the grounds for the allegation, it said that the government had presented a request for four roads that it wished to take over.

The ministry, however, said the request was inconsistent with its conditions for states to take over roads within their jurisdiction.

It therefore said, “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.’’

It said that the ministry had prepared a vesting instrument to convey the transfer and all that was needed was a survey plan.

It said that the Presidential Lodge was a high security location and officials of the ministry also required security clearance to enter, to do any works, noting that access to the lodge was not under the control of the ministry.

It said that the ministry remained committed to serving the government and people of Lagos and would treat all their requests on merit in accordance with necessary due process.