From Francis Nansak Lafia
Federal government projects in Nasarawa state flagged off about ten years ago,are still uncompleted,leaving most of the staff occupying rented office apartments.
The projects includes the Central bank of Nigeria branch office and the Federal Secretariat,among some newly initiated ones, as the federal housing estate, along shendam road , the federal mortgage bank and the road dualization from Keffi to lafia.
Following this delays in the completions of these projects with it construction history nearing Ten years from when some were contracted in 2010, resident of the state and especially those in Lafia the state capital have questioned what could be the reasons for the prolong delay in completing those facilities.
Mr Sylvester John a resident of lafia, expressed displeasure with the pace of work ongoing in the CBN branch office and the federal Secretariat along jos road in Lafia.
According him the long stay without completion of the projects is a setback on both economic and development, aimed to be achieved by the federal government,amounting to waste of resources
He said federal government agencies and their staff in Nasarawa state suffered lack of accommodation that will spur them unto productivity as expected in the discharge of their civic responsibilities.
” We understood that the contractors handling the CBN and the Federal Secretariat projects from inception,are not the same manning the work now,even when the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari invalidated the contract in 2016.
” This was reached when the present minister of works and housing, Barrister Raji Babatunde Fashola, paid a working visit to the state and inspected the Secretariat, the CBN project and the Loko/Owetu bridge”He cried out.
Another concern resident,Mr Saidu Garba, said the road dualization from keffi to lafia,is a worrying condition that need to be addressed in order to save lives.
” Our situation in Nasarawa when it comes to federal presence has always been different and I don’t know why it is so?
“Nasarawa state can not be pushed àside in terms of contributing to the country’s GDP,but we are not getting the much attention from FG,when will we become proud of our natural resources,which I belief is contributing to the economy of the country” Saidu asked.
He called on the minister of works and housing and the president of Nigeria to beam their administration determination in ensuring the completions of all the FG projects in the state.
It would be recalled that the minister,during that visit assured that the project would be completed before 2015.
The Authority report that though work is ongoing on the three projects in lafia,but at a very slow pace,despites the huge sum of monies spent,which would have help in completing the projects but 10 years after both staff of the CBN and federal agencies are still occupying rented buildings.
Some of the federal government agencies in Nasarawa state that are occupying rented apartments are Nigerian Immigration Services, National Complaints commission ,Nigerian Custom Services and NAFDAC
