The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday approved the request of President Muhammadu Buhari seeking a refund of N148,141,969,161.24 to Ondo, Osun, Rivers, Bayelsa, and Cross River states.
The amount was meant for refund of projects they 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 led by Senator Clifford Ordia
Ordia in his presentation stated that most of the federal highways in the beneficiary states where the projects were executed, “were in a deplorable state before the intervention of the state governments.”
He said, “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.”
The lawmaker however noted that states like Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa and Ondo States embarked on the highway projects execution as far back as 2005 to date.
He added that while the state governments have completed all projects, as well as paid all contractors, the Bureau of Public Procurement on its part certified that due process was followed accordingly.
