By Stanley Onyekwere
In furtherance of effort towards delivery of democratic dividends to the populace, the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido has promised sustainable Public Private Partnership (PPP) drive for the provision of infrastructure in communities within the council.
Candido made the assertion yesterday, while performing the flag off to mark the commencement of use of infrastructural provision at the Sabon-Lugbe District of Council, under the PPP arrangement.
He disclosed that AMAC’s partnership with Riok Nigeria limited in the PPP arrangement for the construction of 7 Kilometres access road (alphat) from the end of Ecological project road to the end of AMAC layout with drainage and solar panel light
He noted that the project which would cover the zone of Lugbe District, is in line with its quest to further expand infrastructural coverage to the nooks and crannies of the Council.
According to him, the PPP initiative is a global practice, where cities were not built by governments alone, but through partnerships between the private and public sectors.
“As a government of the people, sensitive to the fulfilment of its mandate, it behoves on us the responsibility of meeting the needs and aspirations of all electorates within our jurisdiction.
“To enable residents partake of the dividends of democracy and feel the impact of good governance in and around their domains. Therefore, providing access to basic infrastructure cannot be seen as luxury but a necessity to make life easy for the people.
“It would also in turn motivate residents in carrying out their civic responsibilities in the governance system. Our avowed commitment towards this has led to the execution of several projects dotted across the council wards.
“That explains why we have constantly deployed large chunks of our yearly budget to provision of Infrastructure, so as to ensure residents of AMAC get the best of this administration”, the AMAC boss stated.
Furthermore, Candido called on AMAC residents, to reciprocate government’s efforts by adopting maintenance culture of the facilities, being provided, so as to have lasting value.
In his remarks, Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, Riok Nig Ltd, Nicholas Ukachukwu, whose firm executed the construction of the PPP project, stated that the firm would soon deliver Shalom Villa Estate to the public, as the infrastructure had opened up the area to the world.
Ukachukwu noted that as development partner, his firm decided to partner with the area council to help residents attain better living standards.
He however revealed that the firm compensation of inhabitants hitherto living on the right of way of the project, had been settled after due evaluation of the affected property.
He added that all units in the soon to commence estate are affordable and designed to provide comfort to off takers, adding that they were all in a duplex form, including one bed room flats, where bed rooms were upstairs, while living rooms, kitchen, dinning and others.
