Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, says his comment on the state of roads across the country was taken out of context.
Earlier in the week, the minister had told state house correspondents that roads in the country were not as bad as being portrayed.
This had generated an outrage, with a federal lawmaker challenging Fashola to a road tour.
But speaking in Ilara- Mokin, Ifedore local government area of Ondo state, while inaugurating some roads financed by Michael Ade-Ojo, chairman, Toyota Nigeria Limited, the minister said he knows the situation of roads across the country having gone round.
“Let me start from the journey by roads to the 36 states, 12 hours everyday, so I know what I saw, and I also said what I wanted to say in that press conference, and thankfully, I must thank your TV Channels, at least, showing the maturity and the professionalism responsibility to play the whole tape, so people can see the context of what I said,” he said.
“I didn’t use the word ‘exaggerated’, I didn’t say that. Please go and listen to what I said, thank you.”
Fashola also said the federal government would not refund any state that rehabilitates or reconstructs federal roads.
He added that the bill for road refund from state governments was on the high side, amounting to N500b.
