FG’S Renewal, Construction Of Major Highways Has Reached Schools - Fashola * As FG hands over 3 completed internal road projects to FUTO * Gap of our infrastructure needs is steadily being bridged - Minister * Says quality of education would be impacted by the quality of infrastructure, learning environments * VC, Senate Council laud FG, Students say, Now that the roads have been fixed we can move easily to our classes" The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, Monday in Owerri, the Imo State Capital, handed over three rehabilitated internal roads in the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) to the authorities of the institution, expressing delight that the nation’s infrastructure gap was being gradually bridged. In his remarks at the handover ceremony, Fashola, who was represented by the Federal Controller of Works, Imo State, Engr. Anthony Animaku, expressed joy that the roads were now completed and ready for formal handover to the Institution adding that the purpose was to enhance the quality of education. Buttressing the importance of infrastructure development in educational institutions the Minister declared, "The gap of our infrastructure needs is steadily being bridged by a gradual process of repair, renewal and construction on major highways and it has reached schools”, adding that the quality of education would be impacted by the quality of infrastructure and the learning environments. Underscoring the positive impact of the projects, the Minister said anyone in doubt should simply “listen to some of the feedbacks from students where this type of infrastructure has taken place”, adding, “The interventions in the various tertiary institutions will have a critical contribution to support education in the country. “Currently, there are a number of internal road interventions across tertiary institutions in Nigeria, and the students are saying that their reluctance to attend classes because of the bad roads, has been replaced by an enthusiasm to do so, now that the roads are better”, he said. Pointing out that the project is an investment in education although a civil Works project, Fashola declared, “During the construction, people were employed in the process contributing to the job creation initiatives of the government, and it is hoped that the school will now ensure that this asset is used properly and not abused”. The Minister, who promised that Government would continue to intervene in education, explained further, “The intervention by Federal Government would improve the ambience and environment of Federal Tertiary Institutions to enhance academic activities". The roads, which are among the 18 completed out of Federal Government’s 43 road intervention projects in tertiary institutions across the country, include the Health Centre, Hostel and Smat Roads. Awarded in 2018 and completed the same year, work done on the roads includes construction and asphalting of Health Centre and Hostel Roads and rehabilitation of Smat Road. Responding, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Francis Chukwuemeka Eze, commended the Federal Government for choosing Federal University of Technology, Owerri as one of the beneficiaries of its laudable intervention. Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Professor Ndukwe James Okeudo, the Vice Chancellor, who stated that the roads are of great importance to the institution as it would aid access and movement around the school, added, “The Senate, Council and the entire Management are very grateful that FUTO was singled out as a beneficiary. We thank Mr. President and the Minister for this honour done to us". He promised that the school would maintain the projects. Also speaking on behalf of all the students of the institution, Mr. Donald Anarado recalled that hitherto the roads were not passable especially during the Rainy Season. In his words, "When rain falls, we cannot move easily from our hostels to classes,  but now that the roads have been fixed we can move easily to our classes. We are very grateful to Federal Government". ...

Aliyu Charged Contractors To Expedite Work On Wudil - Gaya Road Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engr Abubakar Aliyu FNSE has told Dantata & Sawoe, the Contractor handling rehabilation work on Kano-Shuwarin section of Kano- Maiduguri Road Project, to speed up work to deliver the job on target. Aliyu gave the charge over the weekend while on inspection visit of the road to assess the progress of the ongoing work. "I was here last december to see the level of work and I am back here today in February to see the progress you made" he said. The minister stated that he was very concerned for the  road to be delivered in time due to the accidents being recorded on the road as a result of the  bad situation between Wudil and Gaya. Engr Aliyu who showed  disappointment with the level of work by the contractors in two months from his last visit in december, urged the contractor to double up effort to meet the target Accordingly, he told the contractor to confront the rehabilatation work from both Wudil and Gaya sides in order to finish on time, urging  them to bring more machineries and additional staff on site Reiterating the committment of President Buhari to deliver good roads infrastructure for Nigerians, Aliyu said "We can not always sit behind in our offices in Abuja, expecting results without us coming out to have first hand information on the situation of the roads, that's why we are always going out for supervision". Engr.Aliyu also added that, in order to assist Mr President fulfill his promise to deliver  roads, his senior Minister Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN and himself are always running pillar to pole round the clock to ensure achieving good  results. "Just in recent weeks, my senior colleague Minister Babatunde  Rabi Fashola SAN,was in Edo and Niger states on  roads inspection. I was in Numan, Adamawa state yesterday, and now here in Kano state. We divided ourselves to ensure things are going in order" he said Honourable Minister of state, was together with zonal controller of works and the representative of the contractor Dantata & Sawoe.The contractor had promised the Minister that they will mobilise additional machines and staff to the site in the next two weeks as requested. He further added that they will concentrate on the  dangerous areas of the road in order to reduce the rate of accidents, and later come to complete the work on the bridge ...

Fashola Charges Staff on Service Delivery The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola,SAN  has charged staff of the ministry to ensure quality service delivery to Nigerians and members of the public. Fashola gave the charge on Friday   in his keynote address at the opening of a retreat for the top management staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and its agencies at Gombe International Hotel Gombe, Gombe State. The theme of the two- day  Top Management Retreat is '"Service Delivery for National Prosperity". It is the 7th retreat in the series held by the Ministry. Fashola explained that the main objective of the retreat is  focused on quality service delivery to Nigerians and members of the public by the management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. "There is a way you deliver service and get commended and another you get scolded,"he said. He, therefore, urged staff on service delivery with compassion and care in order to create a better public perception of the Ministry.Fashola pointed out that the retreat is an opportunity for staff to reflect on previous performances with a view to fine tuning them for improvement. Earlier in a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Mohammed Bukar stated that the ministry has been holding the retreat quarterly since the inception of  the  present administration under the Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. He explained that the common thread that ran through the themes of all the previous retreats  was the concept of "Team Work." Bukar further explained that it was  a deliberate choice to underscore the need for inter and intra-departmental synergy and collaboration in pursuit of the implementation of the core mandates of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. Speaking specifically on the theme  of the 7th Top Management Retreat, the Permanent Secretary said,  "The emphasis has now shifted to service delivery. This is pursuant to the directive of the Honourable Minister that 'service delivery' shall be the focus of the second term of the President Muhammadu Buhari led Administration." "The relevance of this theme to the core mandate  of the Ministry cannot, therefore, be over emphasized considering the new focus of the management on completion of projects," he said. Bukar , therefore, urged participants to use the two -day forum to engage in cross fertilisation of ideas that will guide the operations of the Ministry, stating that the fundamental objective of the Retreat is to review, fine tune and come out with new strategies for improved service delivery. ...