Infrastructure: Wike directs contractor to extend Kuje road project to G/lada

In a bid to accelerate the opening up of the Abuja satellite towns, Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike has asked the contractor handling the dualisation of Kuje market road to link up with Airport road, to consider extending it to Gwagwalada.
Urging the contractors to start earth work while the approval processes are on going, the minister assured them that the project memo would be presented in next FEC meeting for approval.
Wike however, attributed the delay in presenting memo for the road project to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) this week, to the death of the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, which resulted in the FEC postponement.
Speaking while while inspecting the on going Kuje-Airport road, the minister said most of the job from Giri junction to Kuje would be finished by December, while the earth work of the extension from Kuje to Gwagwalada should also be done by December.
“They have promised that by the end of this 2024, they would have finished everything pertaining to earthwork. So, the work is going on fast and here in Kuje, as per the dualisation of this Garage road.
“We believe that latest by this December, the contractor, would have handed over.
“We have also directed them to continue the dualisation from Kuje to Gwagwalada and that will ease off transport difficulties and also reduce travel time when going to Gwagwalada”, he said.
According to him, the road when completed will ease movement and open up the economy of these areas.
“Everybody in Kuje who is going to Gwagwalada will also go straight and I know the economic impact these will trigger. Mind you, all these constructions included streetlights.
“ We think that it will change the landscape of he entire city. People do not need to leave Kuje to go and live in the city to go to work.
“It will be within 20 to 25 minutes and you are already in the city and that is what everybody hopes for.”
On funding, Wike said he was generating enough revenue and that it’s the internally generated revenue, IGR that he is using for the development of the FCT.
“It is our IGR that we are using to pay. There is no any other money coming from anywhere. And again, we are strict on the number of projects and we ensure that we have gone far before awarding another project and that the funding is available so that it does not become and abandoned project.
“So, it is not that we have much money but it is just that we are trying to prudently manage what we have and apply it to the best interest of our people”, he stated.

Meanwhile, the minister charged TCN to relocate their power line for the road construction to take place. Wike frowned at the slow pace of the TCN to relocate the power line.
He said: “This is a public road, not a private road. It is to be used by everybody for the interest of the public.
“The transmission company will accordingly be told to expedite actions so as to relocate their electrical installations. We are going to make sure that every stakeholder understands the importance of the quick handover of that road.”
Earlier, FCDA Executive Secretary, Engr. Shehu Hadi explained that the road which is 11 km long, is designed to last for 30 years and that by December, also added that there would be a clear road corridor from Kuje to Airport.