Fashola: Buhari committed to delivering real infrastructure, says ‘past administrations used extra money from oil windfall on stomach infrastructure’

Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, says the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to delivering real infrastructure in the country.
Fashola disclosed this while speaking at the Herbert Macaulay biannual memorial lecture organised by the Department of Engineering, University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka, on Monday.
He said past administrations used extra money realised from oil windfall on `stomach infrastructure’, while neglecting roads, electricity, housing and other critical infrastructure.
“When countries like Saudi Arabia were investing proceeds from excess crude sales in developing infrastructure, past administrations in Nigeria used ours on stomach infrastructure as well as sharing money to buy votes during elections.
“They abandoned our roads, power supply and other vital projects because of stomach infrastructure,” he said.
Fasola said there had been improvement in infrastructural development since the emergence of the Buhari administration in 2015, as work had commenced on hitherto abandoned projects across the country.
“ We lost our biggest opportunity to develop the country to stomach infrastructure.
“When Buhari is talking about change, he is talking of a time when the country will invest in real infrastructure and not stomach infrastructure.
“Unlike before, he has made a choice and that choice has led to massive infrastructural development across the country,” he said.
The minister urged Nigerians to emulate the life and time of the late Macaulay and other nationalists who laboured to ensure Nigeria’s independence.
“I commend the department of engineering for the memorial lecture to honour and remember late Macaulay who spent his life and time to serve the country,” he said.
In his remarks, UNN Vice Chancellor, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, said the lecture was instituted by a special resolution of the board of the faculty of engineering in 1978.
“This year marks the 40 years of the institution of the lecture series which is held biennially in honour of Macaulay, the father of Nigerian nationalism, an engineer, architect and a surveyor.
“The engineering department sought for a personality who has experience in the management of engineering related infrastructure to deliver the lecture and found such a personality in the person of Fashola who re-engineered Lagos State when he was the governor,” he said.