I Don't Fix Contract Prices - Fashola Talks on N78m Website at Ministerial Screening

Posted by Odinaka on Wed 14th Oct, 2015 - tori.ng

Lagos State Government under Fashola's watch, spent the sum of N78 million for the upgrade of his website, he has now spoken out on the issue at the National assembly.

Babatunde Raji Fashola

Immediate past governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has once again cleared the air over the controversial N78million spent on the upgrade of the website – www.tundefashola.com.

Fashola indirectly addressed the issue after the question, "Did you really open a Website with 78Million Naira?" was raised by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe at the senate while he (Fashola) was undergoing screening as a ministerial nominee at the National Assembly, Abuja, saying he doesn’t sign checks or award contracts.

"I don’t fix contract prices, it is an institutional process. The only training I have is that of a lawyer, But in order to execute works on a project we need the input of architect, quantity surveyors, structural engineer and we have consulting ministries; For civil works it is the Ministry of Works, for science it is the Ministry of Science and Technology among others.

"Now periodically, they do market surveys with the Ministry of Economic Planning , the Statisticians are there to fix prices from biro to Iron rod to cement it is approved and it becomes the benchmark price of government procurement, nobody can award any other contract over that benchmark.

"The unfortunate things about money is that it often raises suspicions even among brothers. Nobody have alleged that I have corruptly enriched myself, I could not be the master of computers and technology, I need something to do my work. or award contracts," he said.