Wike Shuts Down ICC For Rehabilitation

By: Wisdom Acka & Okeke Makuochukwu

The International Conference Centre, (ICC) Abuja, has been shut to events.

The shutting down is aimed at allowing for a comprehensive rehabilitation work to be carried out by the contractor, Julius Berger (Nig) Plc.

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, ordered immediate cancellation of all scheduled events and closure of the Centre after inspection of the facility, Monday.

Accordingly, the ICC facility will remain closed for the next eight months till when repairs are expected to be completed.

Recall that the Minister had, last week, revoked facility management contract of the previous contractors, Messrs Integrated Facility Management Services Limited, to allow the original contractor that built the Centre, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, to do an immediate comprehensive renovation work.

Wike, who expressed disappointment with the previous management of the facility, described it as an “embarrassment”; adding that the Centre had been left to dilapidate to a point where it could not be regarded as an International Centre anymore.

His words: “We have gone round; you and I know that it is unacceptable. There is no way we can accept this as an International Conference Centre. You can call this a Conference Centre, but not International. We cannot continue to be embarrassed in this way. So, we are sorry to announce this, every booking made for the use of the facility is here is cancelled. Because we will start immediate rehabilitation of the centre, to meet up with international standard.”

“We have called the original contractor that built this edifice, that is Julius Berger, to come back, because if we had brought a new contractor, it would take us time,” he said.

“We believe that in the next seven to eight months, we will be able to do something that people will appreciate. And then that means the FCDA will now take over the rehabilitation with Julius Berger, and then hand over to Abuja Investment Company when completed,” he added.

The Minister also stated that he would not probe the previous facility manager on their handling of the facility, but, however warned that he would “wave the big stick” over the new Group Managing Director of the Abuja Investments Company Limited, Amb. Maureen Tamuno, if she fails to meet up with what was required of her job.

“I’m not here to probe anybody, I don’t want to begin to find excuses why the jobs are not doing well. The Group Managing Director of Abuja Investment Company knows what to do; mine is to give the country a befitting International Conference Centre,” Wike stressed.

“And if she does not do it well, we have no choice but to wave the big stick, but I believe she has the capacity to run it well”, he said.