FCT Minister happy with pace of road projects in FCC

By Stanley Onyekwere

Minister of the FCT, Barr Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work at the various road projects in the Federal Capital City (FCC) embarked upon by the FCT Administration.

Wike, who inspected five projects at the weekend, in the company of the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmed, former Governor of Abia State Dr Okezie Ikpeazu and other senior officials of the FCTA, commended the contractors handling the projects for the good work while urging them to ensure that they keep to the time of delivery.

The projects visited were: the full scope development of arterial road N20 from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) with spurs and the rehabilitation and expansion of Outer Southern Expressway from Villa Roundabout to Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX)/Ring Road 1 junction with four interchanges.

Others are, the construction of Southern Parkway from Christian Centre (S8/9) to Ring Road 1, the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat complex and Completion of roads B6, B12 and Circle Road in the Abuja Central Area

Addressing newsmen shortly after the inspection, the Minister said ongoing projects in the FCT were abandoned by the contractors, due to non-payment but added that the contractors have since returned to site, following payment by the FCT Administration.

He expressed the optimism that the projects would be completed and commissioned for use in the FCT within the next eight (8) months.

According to him: “What we did in the FCT is to invite all the contractors so that we will be able to identify the quick deliverables in the next eight months.

“You will attest to the fact that there were no contractors as at the time we came on board because all the companies eventually left the site because of no payment and I believe with the Spirit of the renewed hope agenda, there’s the need to reassure our people that there will be change, and that change is what you’re seeing today.

“Eventually, those major companies have gone back to site. Julius Berger is on site. Satraco is on site. CGC is on site, Gilmore is on site. These are the ones we inspected today. Other companies are also on site but I don’t want to talk about them because we have not been on site. Because I believe that we need to see, not merely telling people.

“So we are happy that B6 and B12 being handled by Julius Berger, you can see the quality of job. Overall, we want to say that we are happy with what they are doing.They have been paid handsomely so that nobody will leave their site. By the grace of God, in the next 8 months, all of us will begin to benefit from the construction of these very strategic roads.”