The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has voiced his commitment to ensuring the completion of ongoing projects within the territory in the upcoming months.
During an inspection tour of ongoing projects in Abuja on August 24, 2023, Minister Wike expressed worry over the state of uncompleted projects and the lack of adequate funding. He stated, “We must understand that public funds cannot be wasted in this manner because if we abandon them, even if the FCTA takes over, to do what with it?”
He further emphasized the need to address the issue and not allow public funds to go to waste, stating, “So, it is very unfortunate that we find ourselves in this kind of dilemma. I will try and plead with the present leadership of the National Assembly so that we are able to save funds and apply those funds in other projects.”
Commenting on the broader problem of abandoned projects in the country, Minister Wike highlighted that the pricing of materials often changes over time, leading to variations in project costs. He intended to discuss this challenge with the President while ongoing talks with the National Assembly leadership continue.
At the Vice President’s residence in Aso Drive, which has been abandoned for over 13 years, Minister Wike expressed dismay at the situation.
He questioned why such a significant project was undertaken without adequate funding and criticized the lack of progress. He said, “It’s highly embarrassing. I don’t think any serious government would allow this to happen.”
Minister Wike also acknowledged the importance of the Abuja Cultural Centre and Millenium Tower, envisioning them as facilities that would elevate Abuja’s status to that of a world-class city. Despite funding challenges, he assured that efforts would be made to address the issues and make progress on these projects.
In line with his commitment, Minister Wike revealed that he had been instructed by the President to enhance Abuja’s infrastructure and facilities.
He stated, “one of those is in terms of the road network and facilities like cultural centre that will bring tourists and families to move around and have fun with their loved ones.”
While acknowledging funding difficulties, Minister Wike promised that the FCT Administration would work towards overcoming these challenges. He intended to collaborate with the Minister of State and the Permanent Secretary to restructure project funding approaches. He reassured the public that his administration would not make excuses and pledged to bring abandoned projects back to life.
“We are sure of the kind of things we are going to do in the next six, seven months, projects that have been abandoned will now come back to life,” he said. He also revealed conversations with Julius Berger regarding the Federal Secretariat’s completion timeline, indicating that they were poised to finish the project within the given time frame if funding was available.
Minister Wike concluded with an assurance that funding would be secured to complete the project within the stipulated time.
The tour included the Honorable Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, Permanent Secretary of FCTA, Mr. Olusade Adesola, and other high-ranking FCTA officials.
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