The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned Arab contractors handling the Kuje-Airport road junction to take the construction work seriously or face revocation.
The Minister, who stated this in Kuje on Monday while flagging off a 5-kilometre rural road in Kuje Area Council under the FCT Satellites Town Development Agency of the FCT administration, noted that the slow pace of work on the road shows a lack of seriousness on the part of the contractor.
Wike also warned the company handling the construction of the five-kilometre road to work within the specified time, warning that his administration will entertain any excuse for failure to deliver on the set time to hand over the projects.
The Minister, while informing the crowd that his administration was not only concentrating on road construction, noted that in two weeks, the FCT Administration, under his watch, would flag off the total rehabilitation of over forty classrooms of schools in FCT as well as hospitals and the completion of most of the abandoned projects that littered the federal capital city.
He, however, called for the cooperation of the grassroots in rooting out insecurity, underdevelopment, unemployment, poverty, hunger, and other challenges facing the residents of the federal capital, with appreciation for President Tinubu’s support to change the face of FCT.
Wike maintained that as soon as Mr. President returns to the country, his administration will send its statutory budget for approval by the National Assembly. The minister also thanked the National Assembly for the support received so far from the federal legislators through their committees on FCT matters.
“Any project that was awarded before now and abandoned, we have to go back to those projects because government is a continuum.
“It is public money, so we cannot allow government money to be wasted simply because we were not the ones that awarded it.
“We will continue with those projects since they will have a positive impact on the lives of our people. That is what is important to us, and we are going to do it,” he said.
The Minister of State for FCT, Mariya Mahmoud, noted in her message at the flag-off that the road construction, which is aimed at enhancing productivity and generating employment, will also help to build local community inclusiveness to unlock the grass-roots potential.
Mahmoud noted that the road project is a testament to Tinubu’s administration’s efforts towards improving rural infrastructure in satellite towns and area councils, which she said is not limited to area councils alone but the entire country.
On his part, a developer working with the FCTA on an advisory and consultancy basis, Chief Patrick Akinboye Ojo, said the people of Kuje have long waited for the road project and are impressed and happy that the minister, out of his busy schedule, is able to flag off its construction.
“We have seen what he has done in other places, especially within the city centre, where a lot of projects have been going on. So, it is now our turn in Kuje. The project will impact tremendously on the people of Kuje. From here to Gwagwalada, it should take less than seven minutes to drive, but the traffic congestion in this area makes it way longer than that.
“So the project, when completed, will decongest this road and, by effect, also allow the free flow of traffic along the airport road. So, it is beyond this area alone, as it is going to affect every part of Abuja South. He stated that the contractors know the personalities they are dealing with, so they will perform because they will be paid.
Ojo, who has handled several projects for the FCT Administration, like the new Kuje shopping complex, the Dawaki market, and the Dutsen-Alhaji market, urged the people to cooperate with the contractors and ensure timely delivery of the project.
