Fashola Supports Voluntary Blood Donation  …Says Blood Binds Humanity Works and Housing Minister, Mr. BabatundeRaji Fashola, SAN has supported voluntary donation of blood, saying that blood donation is a binding factor ofhumanity. Speaking during an advocacy visit by the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), the Minister stated that it was Government responsibility to ensure that there was always safe and screened blood availablefor emergencies. He said: “I support voluntary blood donation because it is an asset we keep; we don’t know when we will need it.” Mr. Fashola expressed satisfaction with the enormous responsibility of theNational Blood Transfusion Service and promised to draw Mr. President’s attention to what they were doing. “On behalf of my Ministry, government and Nigerians, I thank you for the leadership role you are playing for safety of human lives.” Speaking earlier, the National Coordinator of National Blood Transfusion Service, Dr. Oluwatoyin Smith stated that the organization responsibility was to ensure that there was adequate supply of safe blood for use by all people. She disclosed that because of the importance of the organization, Government planned to make it a full commission saying, “A bill to establishNational Blood Transfusion Service has passed its first reading and about to undergo the second reading very soon at the National Assembly.” Explaining further, she stated that it was part of their mandate to sensitize and create awareness on the need for voluntary blood donation,pointing out that they collect blood from low risk population and screen it before transfusion. She charged everyone to imbibe the culture of donating blood voluntarily, adding that, “everyone here is eligible to donate blood.” According to Dr. Smith, the National Blood Transfusion Servicewas seeking collaboration withthe Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to enable itperform effectively in the advocacy drive for blood donation. ...

FG To Fix  Roads To Ease Fuel Distribution, Commuting –Fashola * Says funding, inclement weather major challenges The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has assured Nigerians that critical roads across the country, particularly those leading to fuel depots would soon be fixed in order to enhance fuel distribution and ease the usual high traffic during the ember months. Fashola spoke in his office in Abuja while responding to a request by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for urgent intervention by the Ministry on some roads leading to fuel depots without which the distribution of petroleum products during the festive months could be seriously hampered. The Minister, who assured that arrangements were already being put in place to fix such roads and a number of those which conditions had deteriorated as a result of heavy rainfalls, listed such selected roads to include Suleja-Bida-Lapai-Lambata;Oyo–Ogbomosho-Ilorin;Jebba-Mokwa-Tegina;Benin-Sapele-Warri;Benin-Auchi-Okenne;Enugu-Onitsha;Awka-Amansea and Odukpani-Itu roads. On the state of the listed roads, Fashola explained that the Suleja-Lambata-Minna Road was in a fairly good condition adding that the failed portions were slated for emergency repairs during the ember month’s programme while work is ongoing on the Bida-Lapai-Lambata Roads where the contractor handling it has already stabilized a substantial part of the road. The Bida–Minna Road, the Minister explained, is a Niger State Government Road and is in a fairly good condition while the Suleja –Lambata –Minna Road; is a Federal Government road under SUKUK funding. Disclosing that his Ministry had commenced discussions with the contractors handling the various road projects for the commencement of repair and rehabilitation works as soon as the rains subside, Fashola said approval has been given for the Engineering Corps of the Nigerian Army to repair the bad portions of the Bokani-Makera-Tegina-Birnin Gwari Road in Niger and Kaduna States, which is currently under procurement, due to the security situation in that axis. He further explained that funding has also been a challenge, adding that the Federal Government would endeavour to meet its financial obligations to the contractors handling the various road projects to ensure that they returned to the sites.   He said work on the Oyo-Ogbomosho-Ilorin Road is on-going by the contractor handling the project, which, he explained, is one of the projects that received dedicated funding under SUKUK. According to him, although the project is being challenged by the current weather situation and funding, the old alignment of the Oyo-Ogbomosho route is receiving palliative attention. On the Ilorin –Jebba –Mokwa Road, which is under a dualization contract, Fashola explained that the project has been divided into two sections with Ilorin –Jebba in Kwara State as Section1: while Section II comprises Jebba–Mokwa–Bokani Junction in Niger State adding that it is a new project and mobilization was still being processed. For Okene–Lokoja Road, which is in four sections and under SUKUK funding, he explained that all the contractors handling the various sections had been directed to do palliative work on the failed portions of the road.  He said while a Federal Government appointed contractor is currently working on the Enugu –Onitsha Road, the bad portions of the Awka –Amansea Road are being repaired by the Anambra State Government. For the Odukpani –Itu Road, the Minister said the contracting firm which is handling the project, has left the site as a result of the challenges of the weather situation and funding adding that the Ministry is currently intensifying efforts to address the challenges for the company to return to site as soon as possible.   ...

Fashola Calls For Collaboration With National Assembly on Projects Completion ….. Says No Works Projects Abandoned The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has called for a stronger collaboration with the National Assembly for the completion of all  on-going projects, pointing out that there was no abandoned project in the sector. Speaking during an interactive session with the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on abandoned Federal Government’s Projects (Works) from 1999 till date, the Minister said that one of the mandates of President MuhammaduBuhari was to complete all projects inherited from the previous administrations. He stated, “It is the government policy to ensure that we complete as many projects as possible. Unlike in the past, this government has focused on completing projects.” Fashola said: “No project has been abandoned, but we have some projects where works is delayed due to contractors having issues with the local communities as well as payment of outstanding debt.” He also noted security, contracts review cost due to time lapse and weather as some of the factor responsible for the delay in the completion of on-going projects. On funding, he disclosed that the Ministry got only N18bn when he first assumed office in 2015 which was not enough to complete one major road in Nigeria.“Now there is a distinction, we have increased the budget to roughly about N300bn, but we still can’t fund the N300bn,”he said. Accordingly, Fashola therefore called for adequate budget appropriation, releases and collaboration with the National Assembly in the areas of funding and prioritization of projects for implementation. “Our revenue is not growing with the same size as our projects, so we need to prioritize our projects by laying emphasis on the A1- A4 projects that would be of benefits to our people,” he said. Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Honourable Francis Uduyok stated that the essence of the interaction was not to witch-hunt any ministry or person but to investigate Federal Government abandoned projects from 1999 till date. He also explained that they were to evaluate and determine the cost of completion of the projects, make appropriate recommendations for their completion in the annual budgets, adding that they were also to access the viability of the projects and their benefits to Nigerians. The Chairman commended the Minister for his elaborate presentation to the Committee. The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu and some Directors of the Ministry were at the interactive session with Fashola. ...