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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Kebbi State government has explained that it has submitted 30 copies of certified documents on the two Federal Government roads it is seeking refund of N10.8 billion expended on about 11 years ago.
Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Abubakar Chika Ladan, made this clarification when he spoke with newsmen on the erroneous news circulating about the role of the state government over the projects.
He disclosed that the first Federal Government road project is Dabai-Mahuta-Koko road of 91km road constructed between 2006-2012 at the cost of N5,070,912,911.47 awarded by former governor, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero and completed former governor, Saidu Nasamu Dakingari, in 2011.
He said the second road is Malado-Gari-Baka-Ngaski-Warra road of 42km constructed by the administration if Dakingari at the cost of N2,200,918,185.78.
“When this administration came in 2015, it discovered that the Federal Government was reimbursing state governments for federal roads constructed by them in their domains. It, therefore, in 2016 directed the then Commissioner of works, Alhaji Atiku Bunu, to contact Federal Ministry of Works to request for refund on the above two roads and three others constructed by the administration of Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu totaling N10.8 billion.
“Before then, there was records to show that the state government started engaging the Federal Government on the refund on Dabai-Mahuta-Koko as far back as 2011.”
However, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing could only approve the two roads for refund that were constructed before 2015 when the Federal Government ordered the stoppage of construction of Federal Government roads by the state governments.
“That the approval was granted on 4th August, 2020. The ministry, thereafter, recommended for the refund of the cost of the construction of the two roads to the tune of N6.7 billion to the Federal Executive Council for approval. The approval was granted in 7th September, 2022.”
Ladan said the present administration in the state in 2015 also awarded the rehabilitation of Dabai-Koko road when it was observed it was failing at the cost of N258 million.
