The Enugu State House of Assembly, yesterday, asked the Federal Government to reimburse the state government the sum of N25.9b spent on rehabilitating federal roads.
The plea was contained in a motion sponsored by Chinedu Nwamba, who represents Nsukka East Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and 18 others. Elochukwu Ugwueze, representing Igbo-Eze South on the platform of the PDP, seconded it.
Nwamba said the request was not out of place because similar requests have been made and granted to some states in Nigeria, including Anambra and Gombe.
He noted that money spent on those roads could have been directed to the development of other sectors in the state, lamenting that non-reimbursement of the funds has hampered development in agriculture, commerce, industry, education, and tourism, among others.
“We are constrained to make this appeal after waiting for about two years in which the roads were rehabilitated without any reimbursement from the Federal Government, despite series of efforts and appeals put in place from different quarters,” Nwamba added.
He recalled that the state government drew the Federal Government’s attention to the debt in the past, which necessitated the setting up of a monitoring and verification committee by the then Minister of works, Mr Mike Onolememen.
“Nothing has been heard about federal government’s readiness to re-imburse the money. We are hoping that government will find it worthy to return the money, which was spent these federal roads because of their economic importance”, he added.
The road projects, which were embarked upon by the administration of former Governor Sullivan Chime, were New Market Roundabout to Agu Abor Interchange, Enugu Abakiliki Dual Carriageway, 9th Mile-Ngwo-Milken Hill-New Market Road and reconstruction/rehabilitation of 9th Mile-Udi-Oji River-Ugwuoba-Anambra State border, among others. (The Guardian)
