Mambila Power Project : The Fictional Allegations Of Leno Adesanya  Contradict Logic The attention of the Hon. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN has been drawn to the spurious and unfounded allegations of Leno Adesanya with regards to the ongoing Mambilla Power Project. It has therefore become necessary to debunk the lies and resist the unjustified and malicious attack on the person of the Hon. Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN and save the innocent members of the public from the rather misleading and offensive publication widely circulating in various media platforms, authored and sponsored by Mr Adesanya  in order to damage good name and  reputation of the Minister to  claim   undue  credit and attract unwarranted   attention  and  sympathy. Nothing is more further away from the truth than the claim that the loan negotiations have stalled since 2017 because of an attempt to utilize $600 Million (equivalent of N219 Billion) from the 3,050MW hydropower project for a “pet project” not hitherto considered by the Federal Executive Council. There is currently no budgetary provision or cash provision of $600 million or the N219 Billion in any budget of the Federal Government for the Mambila Project. Therefore you cannot attempt to divert what does not exist. For the avoidance of doubt, the China Exim Bank disburse money to specific projects and on conclusion of negotiations, the loan will be devoted to the construction of the Mambila Power Project, which has been on the drawing board for close to 40 years before the advent of the Buhari administration which is now working assiduously to get the project off the ground. The latest publication of fictional claims by Mr. Leno Adesanya in a national daily and the social media is the desperate attempt by him and his political sympathisers to destabilize a project that they could not bring to fruition. The antics of Leno Adesanya and his ilk would readily explain why the project has taken so many years without lift-off. Since Mr. Adesanya has chosen to go to court, he would be required to prove his baseless allegation in court. The Federal Executive Council which is the highest decision making organ of the Executive Arm of Government never awarded a contract for the project to Mr Adesanya. The allegation with regard to stalling the Mambilla project is  untrue , baseless and a figment of Adesanya's imagination .  The events and relevant facts will show that because Mr. Fashola first presented a memo on the Mambilla Power Project to the Federal Executive Council in August 2017; which was the first ever Federal Executive Council approval given to the Mambilla project in favour of a Chinese Joint venture. The Minister has also accompanied the President twice to China on trips that had the project as one of the headline agenda. The Hon. Minister in June 2018 attended, alongside officials of the Ministry of Finance, a meeting of the China Exim Bank to negotiate the terms of the loan for the project further. And only this week, after the Federal Executive Council meeting, he briefed Nigerians about the approval of contracts for surveyors to demarcate the areas for the project. These are the first contracts to start preparatory work on the project after 40 years delay. These actions are not consistent with delay falsely being alleged against the Minister by Mr Adesanya. Indeed, available evidence does not support the claims of Leno Adesanya and well-meaning Nigerians will be well advised to ignore him. We hereby state, that no amount of negative effort to distract, intimidate or threaten the Hon. Minister in the performance of his duties in line with the pledge of the present Government to the Nigerian people on the provision of adequate infrastructure in all relevant sectors of the economy will succeed. ...

Fashola Eulogizes Colleague For Outstanding Performance The Honourable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, on behalf of the management and staff of the ministry has congratulated the newly appointed Minister of Environment, Surv. Suleiman Hassan Zarma, mnis, who until his appointment by Mr President, was the Minister of State II for Power, Works and Housing. Fashola eulogized the outgoing Minister of State II for his outstanding performance and display of discretion at which he carried out tasks and assignments within the shortest period he served in the Ministry. In his farewell statement, Fashola said ‘you have done very well here and we wish you very well for what you are going to do in the Ministry of Environment, we will miss you dearly, even though you are leaving us in the ministry, we will not leave you alone.’’ He added that the Minister will still be relevant to the Ministry because in building roads, power and housing projects; it will require environmental impact assessment studies, survey planning and social settlements plans. The Minister stated this at the valedictory session held in honour of Surv. Suleiman Hassan Zarma, who is now a substantive Minister to the Ministry of Environment following his pronouncement and appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari. Fashola noted Mr President’s commitment to the cleaning up of the oil spillage in Ogoni Land for the benefit of the people in that region and the country at large and therefore solicited the cooperation of the Ministry of Environment and the newly appointed Minister to achieve this huge project. Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Works and Housing sector, Mohammed Bukar and his counterpart in the Power Sector, Engr. Louis Edozien noted that Surv. Zarma was an embodiment of managerial competence, hardwork and a model to be emulated, adding that his adaptation to work since assumption of duty is amazing and marked with outstanding achievements. There were good will messages from Directors and Top Management team, attesting and eulogizing the former Minister of State II for his brilliant contributions to the ministry and the nation at large. In his response, Zarma appreciated the Honorable Minister, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of the Ministry and other Top Management for their kind words. According to him, ‘’I have benefited so much from the wealth of experience from Mr Fashola throughout my stay at the ministry,’’ adding that the knowledge and experienced gained in the ministry will certainly assist him in his new assignment to bring about the desired impact. He also thanked the Permanent Secretaries and Directors of the ministry for their loyalty and unwavering support shown to him and prayed for God’s guidance in the discharge of duties in everyone’s various fields of endeavor. The Minister is expected to resume work at the Ministry of Environment with immediate effect. ...

Fashola Reiterates FG’s Commitment To Infrastructural Development The Honorable Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN has reiterated the commitment of President Mohammadu Buhari’s Administration to providing basic infrastructure needed for the overall development of the entire nation. Fashola disclosed this Yesterday in his Mabushi Office when he received in audience the Executive Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola who paid him a courtesy call. He described Adeboyega Oyetola as a brother and friend whom he shared common ideas with, adding that they never knew that divine providence would have them in exalted positions as Governor and minister respectively While congratulating him for his emergence as the Governor of Osun State, he wished him the very best in Office as Adegboyega enunciates his various programmes to develop Osun State. He also assured him of his readiness to assist the Governor when called upon. Earlier, the Governor disclosed that the purpose of his visit was to plead for the refund on the Federal roads his state has rehabilitated on behalf of the Federal Government. He specifically solicited for the speedy completion of the Iwo –Oshogbo road, the Oshogbo-Ilogbo-Ogbomosho road and the Oshogbo-Ilesha road which are under construction but becoming impassable, stressing that the present condition of the roads has paralysed the economic activities in the state. He further requested for the rehabilitation and upgrading of Dams in the state in order to generate power. He called for the Ministry’s support in Rural Electrification and completion of the construction of Primary Health Centres within the State. The programme was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (Works and Housing Sector),Mohammed Bukar and his counterpart in Power and Housing Sector Engr. Louis Edozie, Directors of the Ministry and it’s Agencies. ...