State govts desiring roads must be willing to pay compensations – Fashola

Mr Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, has said that state governments that desire roads must be prepared to pay compensations to citizens whose lands enter road construction plans.

The minister said this on Monday when he commenced a two-day inspection of highway projects in Niger.

According to him, every road project must pass through somebody’s land.

“It is the responsibility of state governments and Local Government Areas to settle these challenges so that the Federal Government can face the problem of funding the construction of these roads.

“I believe that we will help where we can; the stand of the federal government is that the states that want to see these roads delivered must deal with these challenges.

“One of the issues that bring about such challenges is the land use act which is over 40 years.

“The complaint of funding is already in public view that is why members of the press have been asked to join on these tours to see the real state of things.

“The concern of Nigerians on government borrowing is legitimate, but the borrowing should be weighed with the problems they are used to solve.

“People need the infrastructure; if they can see that the money borrowed is being used to deliver critical infrastructure, then their queries can be assuaged,”Fashola said.

The minister added that a country’s state of development was also measured by its road infrastructure.

He further said that good awareness and sensitisation should be done to educate people on the fact that most roads were well built and had only been forced to deteriorate following misuse, especially the over loading of vehicles.

The minister was received in Agaie by the Etsu of Agaie, Alhaji Yusuf Nuhu.

It was reported that the road is one of the five roads being inspected in a 124.88km road project which commenced from Lambata town, through Lapai, to Agaie and terminated at Bida.