Fashola: Minister works, power and housing.

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has called on Nigerians to be patient with contractors handling federal road projects over inconveniences caused by the on-going projects.

Fashola made the appeal in Kano on Sunday while he was inspecting Federal Government road projects in Kano State, according to the News Agency of Nigetia, NAN.

The projects inspected by the minister were the expansion of Kano-Katsina Road and the Kano Western Bypass.

He said the inconveniences, diversion and traffic on the roads being rehabilitated were “consequences of doing what we were supposed to do 15 years ago.

“I want to appeal to Nigerians to be patient with us wherever that is happening, our contractors have been told to provide signage and traffic management strategies.

“But whatever the inconveniences may be, we all know now that, it is for a better tomorrow,” he said.

The minister said the Kano-Katsina project was awarded in 2013 and the contractor moved to site in 2014 but had to stop work because he was not paid.

He said work resumed on the project in 2016 when the Federal Government started implementing its budget for the year.

He said the road was a 74km project leading to the border between Nigeria and Niger Republic, adding that it was a single carriageway in spite of its connectivity to an international border.

“So what we want to do here is to expand the width of the road to carry more vehicles and allow freer movement to strengthen local and international trade.

“The contractor has said that funding has improved and has promised that, 18 months from now, the project will be completed,” he added.

Fashola expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of work at the two project sites visited in the state.

The Kano-Katsina project is being handled by CCECC Nigeria Limited while Dantata and Sawoe Nigeria Limited is handling the Kano Western Bypass.