NOSA EGHAGHA
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has strongly frowned against the alarming rate of contracts variation for projects in the Territory.
Addressing journalists after an inspection tour of the on-going repair works at the Lower Usuman Dam Water Treatment plant, in Bwari Area Council, which was shut down for emergency repair last year, the minister said that unnecessary variations is not acceptable to the current FCT Administration.
While assuring that the FCTA is going to overhaul the entire system, the Minister disclosed plans to prioritise and fund ten projects, as part of the measures adopted to check the menace of abandoned and uncompleted projects in territory.
“We are going to overhaul the entire system. I have never seen a thing like this before in my life. What you see in FCDA contract variation from N10bn to N120bn, from N50bn to N200bn. It is alarming, and I am not going to accept it.
“It was unfortunate that while we went to the Gurara Road, it was very embarrassing, and this is not what they are going to take. The job was awarded in 2017 at the cost of N20bn, in 2020, the reviewed the contract sum to N50bn.
“As I speak to you, we have paid almost N50bn, what is outstanding from what the man in charge has said is N900m, and now the N900m will not be enough to complete the job that they have done about 90percent and thereby we move to another variation. This is what we are not going to accept.
“Now, having come to the Usman Water System, I was told that the contract has been awarded as an emergency contract. We just heard it now that it has not been awarded fully. Just a mere letter of intent to the contractor since last year August.
“We know the importance of this, because it supplies water to our people in the city and this environment.
“Water is very important, so I have directed that it is not an emergency again, If something has happened since last year, you call it an emergency till now, it is no longer an emergency.
“If at all it was an emergency, we are going to start all over, and we are going to supervise the procurement process and we will allow other companies to bid as far as this project is concerned. So, it is alarming.”
Furthermore, the Minister noted the FCTA is choosing about 10 contracts, for which companies handling them have been called, and agreement have reached to ensure timely completion.
“So, we will utilise the IGR to tie it to specific projects, so that we will reduce the abandoning of projects in the FCT. On Monday, we are flagging off the resurfacing of most of the roads in Garki, Maitama, because the roads are terribly bad. I will make sure that the contractors are also paid.”
