Wike Meets Contractors Handling Projects In FCT

The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said the ministry will deliver the abandoned Millennium Tower project in the next two years.

Naija News reports that Wike asserted that the tower, which was abandoned due to a lack of funds, was a very important project that would change the landscape of Abuja.

In a chat with reporters after a closed-door meeting with contractors handling different projects in the FCT, Wike said the tower, when completed, would be one of the legacy projects for President Bola Tinubu.

He said: “It is a very ambitious project, but again, if we are talking of Abuja being one of the best cities in the world, then we must have such a facility.

“I can tell you it is not easy to go into that project, but we have decided that whatever it takes, it is going to be one of the legacy projects for President Bola Tinubu.

“In fact, we are looking at the next two years to see if the way we are going to structure our payment is agreeable with the contractor.”

The minister added that a careful analysis of all the awarded contracts with the contractors and his team revealed that most of the projects were abandoned for lack of funds.

He said: “The Minister of State, myself, the permanent secretary, and the directors have concluded that it is not possible to carry on with the entire projects in the FCT.

“Therefore, we agreed to take them in order of priority. We have tried to work out most of the projects being handled by Julius Berger and agreed to see that these projects are fully completed.”

Wike said the Villa Roundabout would be completed in the next six to eight months, adding that the ministry would put a facelift on Garki, Wuse, and part of Maitama in the next week.

The minister said that the contractors would be mobilised immediately, stating that Asokoro would equally have a facelift in no distant time.

On the Abuja light rail rehabilitation project, the minister said that an agreement has been concluded with CCECC Nigeria Limited to give them their money in the next two days so they can go to work.

He said: “We are also discussing with the company the operation cost because it will not be good to rehabilitate, and then you cannot operate.

“We have told them that on Thursday, we are going to meet to talk about the operation cost.”

Wike pointed out that part of the problem with the projects was the issue of funding, stressing that the ministry would pick some projects that could be completed within a specific period and then decide on what to do again in the following year.