N400bn debt: Reps move to check govs over execution of federal roads

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed for second reading a bill to regulate the execution of Federal Government projects by state governments without due process.

The bill also sought to provide for procedures to undertake such projects, financing, supervision/monitoring refund/reimbursement of money spent on federal roads by the state governments.

The sponsor of the bill, Honourable Rimamnde Shawulu Kwewum, ‎while leading debate on the bill said that, “The dwindling resources of the country and the reduced revenue of the federal government make it difficult for the federal government to fulfill this obligation (road construction).

According to him, “Several state governments have intervened to save their citizens from hardship and harm. At the last count state governments ‎claim that the federal government owes them over N400 billion is unpaid claims.

“Unfortunately several of the project executed by state governments do not meet standard required by the federal government. Some of the projects are poor executed with substandard materials.

“Indeed, many of the projects executed are not even captured in the state budgets or appropriation laws as approved by the states Houses of Assembly”, the lawmaker stated.

On the objectives of the bill, the lawmaker said that, the bill sought to provide a legal frame work for the process of other tiers of government executing federal projects and billing the federal government for those projects.

He also said that, the bill would “Provide greater transparency in the conceptualisation, execution and payment for such projects.”

In his contribution to the bill, Minority Leader, Honourable Leo Ogor, queried why state governments are in a rush to execute federal roads, saying that, “there is no need for them to incure cost that the federal government must pay back.

He also reminded the House that, there was an existing resolution where the House Committee on Work was mandated to carryout cost verification of federal roads.

The bill was referred to House committee on Finance and public procurement for further legislative action.