TheCable

Babatunde Fashola says the works arm of his three-fold portfolio did not carry out any capital project in 2017.

Fashola, who heads the ministry of works, power and housing, made this known on Wednesday when he appeared before a senate committee to defend the ministry’s 2018 budget.

He attributed the situation to the late passage of the 2017 budget.

“The 2017 budget was passed in June. The procurement law requires a procurement plan which took till September,” he said.

“In following this law, the first release was in August. Most of the projects were going through procurement formalities such as tax identity, contract terms, even construction companies went on holidays. So, there were so many things.”

Kabiru Gaya, chairman of the committee, then asked for the number of projects that were not procured in 2017 since there was a rollover of projects from 2016.

The minister could not respond to the question, adding that even the director of planning in the ministry could not give a definite answer.

He said: “It is a tough task. We may be allowed to submit those details. The ending solution, which has not been found favourable, is that once you appropriate for a project in a particular budget, it should not be lined up in another year.”

The committee resolved that the projects which could not be procured in 2017 should be rolled over into the 2018 budget and that the report should be presented in a week.