Works and housing: Fashola harps on cutting cost

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

Former Governor of Lagos State Babatunde Raji Fashola Wednesday resumed duty as Minister of Works and Housing.
He was in charge of the same ministry in the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari but with the inclusion of power sector.
This time, he would be manning the ministry with a new Minister of State, Engineer Abubakar D. Aliyu, a former Yobe state deputy governor.
Addressing a cross section of the staff of the ministry, Fashola called on the professionals in the civil service to assist the government in cutting cost and to block wastages.
The minister said he expected every department, agency and parastatal under the ministry to cut cost in the execution of the projects and other activities.
This, he said, would assist the government to prudently execute its projects, saying that the ‘fortunes of the nation are determined by the attitude of its professionals.
Fashola also charged the concerned staff to concentrate on the budget preparation for the ministry to execute its projects and other programmes.
To this end, he charged the staff of the ministry to make their travelling and leave between the months of October and November very flexible for the success of the exercise.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Engineer Abubakar D. Aliyu, who said his relationship with Fashola dated back to their r days at the Nigerian Governorship Forum, pledged to work harmoniously with him and the staff of the ministry.
Also, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Alhaji Bukar Muhammed, who congratulated the two ministers on thier appointments and subsequent posting to the ministry, thanked Buhari for finding them worthy.
Mohammed, who said civil servants are required by the constitution to support the government of the day, pledged the support of the staff of the ministry to the two ministers.
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