By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
Two weeks after warning contractors handling various projects for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to shape up or ship out, Abuja has suddenly become a big construction site as most of the roads under construction but have been abandoned earlier are now receiving facelifts.
It was gathered that some contractors handling various road constructions in the metropolis have returned to the sites of the abandoned projects after the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ezenwo Nyesom Wike warned contractors handling the rehabilitation of 135 roads in the capital city and civil engineering services against contract variations.
Wike who gave the warning while inaugurating some projects in Abuja two weeks ago also disclosed that the projects would be completed in six months.
The Minister had also promised that the FCTA would pay all the contractors their money to enable them to complete the project within the agreed timeline. READ ALSO:
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Said he: “To the contractors, let me warn you now, all these things you are doing with engineering services will not work again. Nothing like variation; it will not work. Kobo, one naira, in the next seven days it becomes N15, it will not work again. It will not work, so don’t even try it. There is no variation in this job.
“We have the money to pay you. So, if you like to go to engineering services and do anything with them, it will not work. We are paying you your money and I assure you that nobody will owe you a dime. We are going to pay you and you must finish within the time we have agreed with you”.
The former Rivers state governor also warned the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola not to bring any paper asking for reconsideration or a file for unanticipated issues, saying that everything has been considered and anticipated.
Perhaps, the fear of Wike has forced many contractors to race back to sites especially those that have collected lion shares of the contract sum but have since abandoned the projects after their push for the variations of the contract sums could not yield any positive results.
Prompt News can authoritatively report that COAN (WA) Limited, the contractors handling the inner city road from Kabusa Village to Sunnyvale Estate junction along Lokogoma-
Galadimawa-Apo road in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have returned to site with few heavy-duty equipment including payloaders, caterpillar and motor roller among others to continue work on the road.
Although the management of COAN (WA) Limited refused to comment why the company suddenly returned to site after abandoning the work for some time to the disappointment of residents who have suffered untold hardship on the bad road, there is no doubt it is because of the fear of the FCT Minister.
Chief Abiodun Oladimeji, a resident of Kabusa Garden Estate who passes the stretch of road daily has accused the contractors handling the road of unnecessary delays in the completion of the project the company started during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan through President Mohammadu Buhari to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime.
According to him, COAN (WA) Limited has been “scratching on the surface” on this road leading to other places in Kabusa Village, Apo mechanic, Galadimawa and Lokogoma, pointing out that the snail-speed the company has handled the job has caused problems for the residents of other estates along the ever-busy road.
Also, construction giants Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has returned to the dual carriageway between Elizade/ Bolingo Hotels and the United Kingdom, European Union, United States of America and Canada’s Embassies towards the Central Business District.
The company’s workers are seen carrying out rehabilitation jobs on the road which was provisionally abandoned as traffic were diverted to one side on most of the abandoned roads in FCT with no completion date at sight.
Other roads where contractors have returned to site are the Area 1 Interchange towards Games Village Road to Galadimawa Roundabout as activities have resumed in earnest to fix the abandoned projects after Wike has threatened to come down hard on contractors who have collected money but left the job undone.
Prompt News reports that most of the abandoned roads in FCT are being financed with Sukuk Fund.
