Flooding: Senator criticises FG for ‘diverting’ N11bn allocated for construction of highway

The senator representing Ogun East, Francis Fadahunsi, has criticised the federal federal government for diverting part of the 2022 supplementary spending plan to fund provision of palliatives to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

Mr Fadahunsi made the criticism though contributing to a movement on flooding in Ikire area moved by Olalere Oyewunmi (PDP, Osun West) on Tuesday.

The supplementary price range of N819,53 billion was introduced by previous President Muhammadu Buhari for money tasks thanks to the impression of the floods on farmlands and road infrastructure across the country.

But President Bola Tinubu requested the Senate to allow for him use N500 billion from the spending budget to offer palliatives to Nigerians in get to cushion the influence of the removal of fuel subsidy.

The Senate granted him the ask for and amended the finances to accommodate it.

At the plenary on Tuesday, Mr Fadahunsi, a member of the Peoples Democratic Social gathering (PDP), reported the diversion of the 2022 supplementary price range afflicted the completion of the Ife-Ibadan convey road.

The senator claimed the building of the Ife-Ibadan freeway was awarded to Kopek Construction Firm in 2018 at the sum of N79.8 billion.

He famous that out of the full amount of money, N581 million was disbursed to the contractor as upfront.

Mr Fadahunsi more described that N11 billion experienced before been allocated in the budget to proceed design of the freeway prior to Mr Tinubu’s ask for.

He warned that if the govt failed to construct the highway, floods will go on to ravage parts together the street.

Movement

Mr Oyewunmi, the deputy minority chief, while presenting a motion at the plenary complained that Ikire, Apomu and Gbongan areas of Osun Condition were being ravaged by flood right after a heavy rainfall on Saturday.

The flood, he said, ravaged the regions and remaining commuters on the Ife-Ibadan specific highway stranded for a lot of hrs.

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Mr Oyewunmi claimed that there was flooding simply because the building of the road was not done.

He urged the federal government to make certain completion of the street in advance of the September – November rainfall in order to stay clear of far more flooding incidents in the region.

Mr Oyewunmi requested the Senate to urge the Federal Ministry of Will work to right away direct the contractor to go on the building of the highway and also urge the Federal Road Upkeep Agency (FERMA) to help with the building.

The senator also asked for the Senate to phone on the Nationwide Unexpected emergency Management Company (NEMA) to provide relief elements to people whose houses and homes were ravaged by the flood in Ikire location.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, subsequently granted all the prayers and directed the Clerk of the Senate to converse the resolution to the concerned businesses.