Rivers State yet to receive N78.9b refund from FG —Fashola

The N78.9 billion refund for the execution of federal roads projects carried out by the Rivers State government in the state is yet to be paid, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said.

Fashola stated this on Saturday in Port Harcourt Harcourt the commissioning of the Rebisi flyover, adding that Wike still needed to visit the National Assembly for ratification.

It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the refund of the money.

The minister, who noted that the Federal Government reimburses funds in all states irrespective of party affiliations, said: “Let me make an important observation here, in the first tranche, the refunds were in the order of N577bn. I don’t know the exact number but it was done across the party line in the states.

“In this second trance, it was five states, out of those five states, APC states had a total of N148bn and of course Nyesom Wike of Rivers state got the lion share, N78bn, but don’t leave here thinking that he (Wike) has received N78bn, not yet, he still has to go to the National Assembly.”

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt owes road contractors N392bn —Fashola

The governor, while speaking at the occasion, said he was happy fulfilling his promises to Rivers people, adding that he had the intention of constructing more flyovers in Port Harcourt to ease traffic in the state capital.

“It is on record that it has never happened where a state government can carry out four flyovers at the same time and we are not working with contractors of low repute. I am so happy today that I made a promise to my people and I have fulfilled that promise,” Wike said.

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