PRESIDENCY BAN STATES FROM INTERVENING IN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OWNED ROADS

Federal government has banned states from intervening in Federal Government owned roads irrespec­tive of their deplorable condition. Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, gave this indi­cation while giving details of what transpired at the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, at the State House, Abuja. He, however, gave the impression that demands by states for refund after intervention may have spurred council to approve the decision for states to desist from such intervention.

FEC approved that three states, Kebbi, Taraba and Yobe, be refunded the amount spent on repairing federal roads in their domains, especially as such contracts were awarded prior to the inception of the current administration. The latest directive from the presidency comes as many federal roads are in deplorable conditions across the country owing partly to the rainy sea­sons and heavy duty vehicles plying such roads.