The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (Works & Housing Sector), Engr. Abubakar Magaji has advised stakeholders in the works sector to ensure proper utilization of allocated funds and other resources available for roads and related services; and prioritise road projects strictly according to needs.
Engr. Magaji stated this in his remarks at the 22nd Meeting of the National Council on Works which was held at the Katsina State Secretariat, Katsina, with the theme “Prioritisation and Optimitisation of Allocated Road Infrastructure Funds”.
While chairing the meeting of Permanent Secretaries in the works sector, Engr. Magaji asked participants to be mindful of the urgent need for the turnaround of the national economy, “the realization of which, to a large extent, is dependent upon provision and maintenance of good roads”.
He noted that to achieve the above noble objective, “the National Council on Works and indeed all relevant stakeholders in road construction and maintenance must play critical roles individually and collectively”.
In a goodwill message, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, Dr. Shetima Bukar Abba, said the Commission, is a major stakeholder in the Council meeting as it is the sole body constitutionally mandated to work out and ensure fair and equitable distribution of socio-economic amenities, infrastructural facilities among the states of the Federation; adding that the National Council on Works offers the Commission the opportunity to sensitise and drive the message and that as it considers the prioritisation and optimisation of allocated infrastructure funds it should be done fairly, justly and equitably, across the nation.
Dr. Abba, said that the Commission is an integrating agent empowered to guarantee citizens’ access to employment and socio-economic amenities and infrastructural facilities, in order to promote national integration as well as create room for redressing imbalances whether real or imagined in the provision of such facilities.
He described the theme of the Meeting as apt, adding that Nigerians are yearning for change, and expressed his happiness about the political will of the present administration’s resolve to tackle the decay in infrastructure such as roads, housing, power, transportation, etc; and challenged the meeting to critically examine the provision of infrastructure in the country with a view to addressing areas of lopsidedness.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Katsina State, Hon. Tasiu Dahiru, while welcoming delegates, expressed the states appreciation and enjoined them to have a fruitful deliberation.
’Bisi Agbonhin
Director (Information)
