The Senate on Tuesday approved President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to refund N148,141,969,161.24 to Rivers, Bayelsa, Cross River, Osun and Ondo State Governments.
The refund was for projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.
The approval was sequel to the consideration of a report by the Committee on Local and Foreign Debts Chaired by Senator Clifford Ordia (PDP – Edo Central).
Ordia in his presentation stated that most of the Federal highways in the beneficiary states where said projects were executed “were at a deplorable state before the intervention of the state governments.”
“Series of visits were carried out by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on all federal roads completed by the States and ascertained that the quality of work done met the required standard”, he said.
The lawmaker noted that Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa and Ondo States embarked on the project execution as far back as 2005 to date.
He added that while all states paid the contractors, the Federal Bureau of Procurement certified that due process was followed accordingly.