Barring last-minute changes, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to commission the multi-billion naira National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) situated along the Airport road in Abuja.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who disclosed this during the facility tour of the NILDS permanent site, however, issued a 30-day ultimatum to the contractor, Julius Berger Construction company to complete the project, which has attained 98%.
The Speaker who frowned at the absence of the construction company on site, said: “I was here in September 2019 and came here again about a year ago when the project was said to be at the 95% completion stage but disappointed to be here today and see the project at the same level and without workers on site.
“Take it or leave it, this project must be completed within the next 30 days for commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The client said to your hearing here that is not indebted to you. So, why the delay? Please use the 30 days window given to you now, to get the project completed,” he said.
The Speaker who acknowledged that the President is passionate about the timely completion of the NILDS permanent site averred that President Buhari “has done all he can do to make sure that it’s completed during his tenure and he has dedicated funds and I believe that we have not gotten what is commensurate to show the funds we have sunk into this project.”
He maintained that if the contractor had moved to the site over the past 90 days the remaining two per cent would have been completed in record time.
In his remarks, NILDS Director General, Professor Olanrewaju Sulaiman disclosed that the Institute has so far spent over N47 billion on the project and paid the meet the required financial obligations on the outstanding balance.
While aligning with the Speaker’s position, Professor Sulaiman said: “The Speaker is disappointed; we are all disappointed. This project has been on for years and we got a commitment from the Contractor – Julius Berger that once the liability on the project as of two years ago is settled, it will come back to the site.
“As of today, I can tell you, we are not owing Julius Berger, we are not indebted and that’s why Mr Speaker is furious that this edifice must be commissioned in the next 30 days,” he noted.
While disclosing that the sum of N2.5 billion was provided in the 2023 Appropriation Act, Professor Sulaiman unveiled plans to obtain intervention funds from the Federal Government as part of efforts aimed at ensuring adequate funding of the project.
“We can’t just leave this project like this for years. Federal Government has done the needful by putting something in the budget and we are still speaking with Federal Government again, if we can get some intervention fund to add to what is in the budget now.”
While speaking, one of the project consultants, Zingart Gonwalk said: fluctuations in the exchange rate within the last three years, resulted in an outstanding balance of N7.5 billion to be paid to Julius Berger.
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