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The federal government has challenged opposition political parties and other critics of the government to a national debate over President Goodluck Jonathan's mid-term report.
Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said at the commencement of the 2013 Ministerial Platform monday in Abuja that those with contrary opinions on the mid-term report should come up with facts and figures and present them at the public debate.
Maku also said the Jonathan administration delivered 32 roads project in 2012 and more were underway.
According to Maku, the mid-term report contained a summary of major achievements of all Ministries Department and Agencies (MDA's) of government.
He noted that the federal government's intervention in the road and transport sectors were unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.
According to him, the resuscitation of the rail and water sub-sectors which had been deemed impossible under past government's was achieved by the current administration.
"We have never seen anything like we have seen since 1960, particularly on the job we are doing in the roads, on the job we are doing in the railways and the job we are doing in the dredging of the Niger. That promise was made since the Tafawa Balewa administration in the 1960s, no government was able to fulfil it, this is courageous and has never been achieved by any government," he said.
He added that the administration was midway through its tenure, and had delivered on some of its campaign promises in spite of security challenges in some parts of the country.
The minister said the achievements of his colleagues in the transport and works were things that every Nigerian should be proud of.
Maku also accused Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola of generating 80 per cent of the state’s revenue from federal infrastructure.
Maku had earlier accused many of the states governed by the opposition parties of “resting heavily on federal infrastructure.”
But in a swift reaction, thousands of participants at the event, including reporters, civil society organisations and members of the public and officials of various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) booed the minister, in disagreement.
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