Critical Road Projects For Delivery In May -Wike … To Provide Alternative Before Total Okada Ban

By: Wisdom Acka

Critical road projects in the Federal Capital City would be ready for commissioning by President Bola Tinubu May next year.

This is as the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike tasked contractors handling some of the projects to increase rate of work and deliver in eight months.

The Minister, who made the call while inspecting some of the projects on Saturday expressed satisfaction with the quality of work and pace; stressing that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President was not a propaganda, but a reality.

His words: “So, sometimes it is good for you (journalists) to join us for inspection and see what we are telling the public -whether it is correct or just mere propaganda.”

The Minister added, “The Renewed Hope Agenda is not a propaganda. It is the reality that Nigerians must see. So, I am very happy with what I have seen today.”

Reminding the residents that he was just one month old in office, on Monday, Wike explained: “What we did in the city is to invite all the contractors so that we will be able to identify quick deliverables in the next eight months and inaugurate the projects”.

He also recalled that there was no contractor on site when he and the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, assumed office; stressing that all the contractors had hitherto left the sites due to non-payment.

Reaffirming belief in Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Minister called on residents to support the President, FCTA and contractors to complete the projects on time; saying they were for the benefit of all.

Wike said, taking us through the tour: “Virtually most major companies have gone back to site -Julius Beggar is on site; Setraco is on site; CGC is on site and Gilmor is on site, just the ones we inspected today.

“Other companies are also on site; even though we could not visit them today,” he said.

“I am happy with B6 and B12, being handled by Julius Berger. You can see the quality of the job, and here we are (Arterial Road N20), being handled by Gilmor; you can see the quality of the job,” he stressed.

“We moved to CGC, you can see the quality of job, and we have been to Setraco. Overall, we want to say that we are happy with what they are doing, and we have planned out how they would be paid so that nobody will leave the sites,” the Minister reiterated.

He expressed optimism that “by the grace of God, in the next eight months, all of us will begin to benefit the construction of these very strategic roads”.

Accompanied by former Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, FCTA Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola and Executive Secretary, FCDA, Engr. Hadi Ahmad, among other top FCTA functionaries, Wike also inspected work on rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat, also being handled by Julius Berger.

Construction of the Southern Parkway -from the National Christian Centre, stretching to Ring Road 1; expansion of the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX), handled by Setraco and CGC, respectively were also inspected.

Responding to a question on the menace of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, Wike reiterated its ban in the City and other areas.

He, however, noted that the FCT Administration was mindful of the people, hence it is desirous of providing buses as alternative means of transportation for the people before considering a total ban.