Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has challenged the House of Representatives to look into the funding of a road project at Five Junction in Benin.
The governor threw the challenge on Wednesday when members of the House Committee on Works led by Mr. Ora Ozomgbachi visited him in Benin.
The Federal Government and Edo State Government have been laying claim to funding the project.
Presenting the project design, contract award documents and evidence of payment to the company handling the project (Reynolds Construction Company) to committee members, the governor urged the lawmakers to investigate the claims.
He said, "This is an opportunity for me to clarify areas of disagreement, including the area called Five Junction, where we felt it was worthwhile to construct a roundabout and create a network drainage channel. If the Federal Ministry of Works is claiming the work, which it did not do and is claiming money for it, it would be a fraud.
"I brought these documents to settle the issue once and for all and if the ministry claimed it paid for the contract, then Edo State should have its money refunded."
The governor cited other federal projects executed by the state government and called for re-imbursement, even as he observed that the design of federal road projects in the state, were done without taking cognisance of the terrain nor making provision for drainage channels.
Commending the lawmakers for their legislative work, the governor said such a disposition was giving meaning to the principle of separation of powers.
Ozomgbachi, who said they were in the state to carry out their oversight function, noted that many projects failed in the country due to the negligence of various supervisory authorities.
The Punch