The Federal Government has refunded N859.7bn to various state governments as reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenditures incurred in constructing federal roads over eight years. This was disclosed in a fact sheet highlighting achievements of the Buhari administration shared by the Presidency recently. Due to reports that state governments inflate the cost of repair works carried out on federal roads, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, directed states to desist from such interventions as the Federal Government would not offset such expenses. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had said, “Henceforth, if any state takes on federal government roads, it will not be paid. They will not get any refund. Even if you want to pay from your own pocket, you will still need the permission of the federal government and it will be supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. Also, on Wednesday at the inauguration of the Rumuokwuta/Rumuola Flyover, the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike, pleaded for refunds of funds spent to construct federal roads in the state totalling N80bn.

Punch