We’ll Turn Abuja To Construction Site -Wike …sets to reintroduce sanitation

By: Wisdom Acka

Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory will be turned into a giant construction site in the next two months.

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who stated this on Monday, while briefing journalists after a meeting with contractors vowed not to preside over uncompleted projects in the nation’s capital.

His words: “Am not prepared to preside over uncompleted projects, so we are going to change the pattern and tie projects to Internally GeneratedRevenue (IGR), so each one will finish soon”.

While regretting that the Federal Governnent was not budgeting adequately for the FCT, he said that “We cannot be giving excuses”; adding that project completion would be prioritized and President Bola Tinubu informed about outstanding.

Wike revealed the FCTA intention to complete the Millennium Tower project in about two years as one of the legacy projects of President Tinubu.

Another important project he earmarked for early completion was the Abuja Light Rail, “In the next two weeks, we will pay them (contractor handling rehabilitation) to go back to work…and we will also settle operation cost” so that it would be in operation once it is finished.

Commenting on state of the streetlights, the Minister noted that there was improvement; noting, “but we are not there yet”.

When reminded of the poor roads network at the satellite towns, the Minister said visits would be made to the satellite towns to ascertain their conditions, indicating about five of rural roads would be taken at a time and rehabilitated.

In a bid to improve the environmental sanitation of the FCT, the Minister revealed that he briefed the President on that, stressing that he needs to reintroduce periodic sanitation exercise in Abuja, where three hours, would be dedicated to cleaning of surroundings every two weeks.

On palliative measure, Wike disclosed that the FCT was not included in the Federal Government’s palliative scheme untill he got approval for about N2 billion.

“We were not included in palliatives, but on Friday, I made a letter to the President and he approved it. We have not come out with what to use it for, but transportation is very important”, he hinted.