By Daniel Tyokua
The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has given insight into the circumstances that made his administration to put on hold the N200bn Abuja millennium tower project.
Wike said he is overwhelmed by the outrageous fresh contract sum submitted to him for completion of the work.
This is coming three months after he vowed to complete the abandoned millennium tower project when he inspected it.
The minister, therefore said he had decided to hands off the completion of the project as he has other critical lives impacting projects he wants to deliver to the residents of the territory.
Wike who stated this when he appeared before the Senate and House Committees on FCT to defend the proposed N1.15tr 2024 statutory budget.
The minister said he was disappointed when the millennium tower project that was awarded in 2005 for an initial sum of N50 billion, has now been reviewed to over 200 billion naira.
He explained that the earlier assurance he gave the Committees three months ago, for the completion of the project in the next two years was premised on the initial reviewed contract sum of 100 billion Naira that was submitted to him when he met with the contractors handling the project in August, 2023.
According to him, the contractors returned to his office weeks later to re-submit a fresh contract review which amounted to over 200 billion naira, noting that the initial 100 billion naira review submitted to the minister was carried out three years ago.
To this end, the minister said he has decided to tow the footsteps of his predecessors who looked the other way and left the project unattended to.
He said the hopes of residents who are looking forward to the completion of the multi-faceted entertainment and business facilities have been dashed.
On the break down of FCT N1.15tr budget, Wike explained that N421.44 billion was earmarked as recurrent expenditure, representing 36.7 per cent, while N726.3 billion was set aside for capital expenditure, representing 63.3 per cent.
He added that the proposed capital expenditure would be dedicated for the development of infrastructure with emphasis on completion of on-going projects.
“Some of the critical projects to be executed by the FCT Administration in the 2024 statutory budget proposal are the completion of Roads B6 and B12 and construction of access road and car park for Abuja Light Rail.
“Full scope development of Arterial Road N20 from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX), provision of engineering infrastructure to Guzape, and provision of engineering infrastructure to Wuye District.
“There is also the extension of Inner Southern Expressway (ISEX) from Southern Parkway (S8/S9) to Ring Road II (RRII), full scope development of FCT Highway 105 (Kuje Road) from Airport Expressway to OSEX with Spur at Kyami District,
“Construction of Northern Parkway from Ring Road II to Ring Road III (6.2Km), full scope development of N5 and N20 and provision of engineering district infrastructure to Asokoro Island Layout in the FCT.
“The sum of N198.5 billion is earmarked for the above eight major roads to speed up their completion before the end of 2024 fiscal year.
“The expansion and rehabilitation of these roads will eventually reduce the travel time and traffic gridlock on our roads within and outside the city,” he said.
