By Austin Ogwuda
Managing Director of the Word Bank and former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, yesterday publicly took on Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash, demanding explanation on why the Lagos/Benin highway was yet to be fixed, despite the huge capital sunk into it.

The occasion was a public lecture in Asaba where Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State gave her a standing ovation for raising the issue.

The lecture, which was chaired by the former governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, had Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State as one of the discussants.

Okonjo_Iweala spoke at the 2nd Distinguished Lecture series  organized by Sylvester Monye Foundation with the theme “Economy in Perspective: Infrastructure Deficit in Nigeria, Confronting the Challenge”.

She said, “We don’t have any more excuse; no more excuses not to move on the power sector. No more excuses for delay; no more excuses for holding our industries back; for holding our households back the Government  has to move.

“I have spent the bulk of this lecture on power because  I believe really  that is where the issue lies . I mean, if we don’t fix that (power)  we don’t fix anything.”

“But I have to say a little thing about the road sector . The reason I want to say a little thing about it is because we have got the Minster of Works here, so we can put him(Minster) on the spot. And also I feel this is one area we can have some quick wind. I  have not understood why something so visible as good road is not focused on by the Government. Honourable Minster  (pointing to him)one of the roads that is really a problem that I have driven on myself is the Ore_Benin road.

“I  know somebody will say when you were in Government what happened. When I was in Government  we put aside money to repair this road.  Then I  was not Minister of Works I was  Minister of Finance . But somehow we were told that the road was being repaired.

I actually went to drive on it. I remember driving on it with my father and it took us eight hours to get from Lagos to Ogwashi_Uku, a journey that should have taken us not more than four or five hours because the road was still not repaired. And about six months ago I went on the same road with the same problem and I asked when I came in this morning has anything happened  and I was told no. So why is it that something so elementary that connects the main artery of East and West of our country is still there punishing people every time because that is what I think it is – punishing people

“Now Christmas time is here again and you know that there are many families who will be sleeping on that road for two or three days. Honourable Minister am sorry to put you on the spot, you are my brother and my former colleague but you have to answer that one today.

“Now I am going to be very knotty I am saying that one of the reasons that I think these roads are not repaired … that (Lagos_Benin) is not the only there are main arteries in the North of our country  that are also not good. You know we could link one or two major highways  in this country that are not fixed.

“If Government allocates resources to do these two or three major highways, Nigerians should be so happy. Nigerians are very undemanding of their government, by the way,  expectations are so low. So just doing those few things will be enough. But I think that  the reason why they don’t get fixed and here I am going to talk in my usual straight forward way is because we have governance challenges in the road sector. Where does the money go?  But I am also asking you (audience) because you are citizens of this country it is your job to ask Government where does the money go”, she stated.

“Senator Daggas is the Minister of Works now but it didn’t start now. It started a long time ago and we have tolerated it. What if,  I am not calling anybody to arm am just saying what if Nigerians did not tolerate the most basic injustice. So I need the question not just for Government to answer but also for us Any government that can deliver one or two arteries I think they are the ones going to win the votes in the coming election (2001).

Minister of Works, Senator Daggash on his part noted that the said Lagos_Benin highway which was constructed in the 70s has outgrown its expected life span coupled with the fact that there were design defects discovered.

He also attributed the insecurity of the workers on site saying that recently three expatriates  working on the road were kidnapped and he had to write the Edo governor to provide  the workers security to enable the work go unhindered.