Tinubu Restoring Glory Of Abuja Int’l Confab Centre -Wike

By: Wisdom Acka

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has said that President Bola Tinubu was bringing back the standard and glamour of the Abuja International Conference Centre (ICC).

Wike said this, Wednesday, while speaking to journalists after inspection of projects in the Federal Capital City.

He recalled that the ICC was an eyesore when the President went there for inauguration of the ECOWAS Parliament, making him to direct its immediat shut down and total rehabilitation.

The Minister, who delved into history while talking about importance of the ICC, regretted that such an edifice was allowed to “die”.

He said: “I was reading IBB’s book, and while I was reading the book, I came to how this ICC was conceived -the importance of this International Conference Center…he (IBB) said they were supposed to have OAU meeting at Addis Ababa, and that time, it does appear that there was a communist government in Ethiopia, and then they got a security report that they were going to be attacked, and the only option left was for Egypt and Nigeria to make sure that OAU meeting held.

“Unfortunately, Cairo had a problem, and the only option now was Nigeria, and so it was a big problem for them how to make sure they host the OAU meeting.

“And then this idea came up, they must build an International Conference Center, that would be befitting for conferences, meetings of other countries that would be coming, and so they had to do what we call ‘oil swap’ for this construction, that’s how ICC came up.”

Wike lamented that the Centre unfortunately “died” because it was not taken proper care of; adding that it was given to a certain Senator who was “making money out of it, but killing the edifice” till the coming of President Tinubu, who supported the FCT Administration to take “drastic decision” to revive it.

According to him, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, the company handling the comprehensive renovation of the ICC at the cost of ₦39 billion pledged to complete it by May.

At already about 80 per cent completion level, the Minister said he was optimistic that the company would deliver.

Wike assured that Nigerians were been giving the best, even as he thanked President Tinubu for his continued support and determination to restore hope to all Nigerians.

He also carried out inspection of other projects, including the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX) and N5, traversing Gwarinpa I District (Life Camp), among others; assuring they would also be ready by May for second anniversary of the President.