The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has expressed doubt in the ability of the contractor, Messers Kakatar handling the Apo-Karishi project on schedule.
Wike, while speaking with journalists on Thursday in Abuja after inspecting the ongoing Apo-Karshi Road project as well as the newly awarded emergency rehabilitation of the Nyanya-Karshi road project urgedthe contractors to deliver on time.
He said: “We thought that within seven months they ought to have completed but unfortunately the contractor could not move to site because of some procurement processes. But thank God we have passed that stage now and they have also been mobilised.
“I still have my doubts, I will not lie to you, but the contractors are insisting that by April they would have completed this project.
“It is a project that is very dear to us. We know the importance of this road. So many people are eager to see that this road is completed on time so that it will ease off a lot of traffic. It will also boost the economic activities in this area.
“So let us give them (the contractor) the benefit of doubt and believe that they will play their own part. On our own part, we are doing what we are supposed to do. The funds are there to be given to them.”
The minister urged the contractor to put in more efforts.
According to him, If I come back here again and see that they have improved on what we have seen on ground today, I will tell the treasury department to release further funds to them, but for now let’s watch them because we are very serious about this project”.
The minister who said that government is a continuum, stressed that the benefit of moving on with the project far out weights the implication of abandoning it because of the myriads of issues surrounding the award of the project and the work being done, adding that the benefits for people were government’s main priority.
Speaking on the emergency rehabilitation of 18-kilometre Nyanya-Karshi road contracted to SCC Nigeria Limited, the minister also stressed the importance of the road to the economic development of the area.
Wike added that the decision to rehabilitate the road was necessitated by its deplorable condition, which he had observed during a prior visit to Apo-Karshi Road project.
His words: “What attracted me to the road, if you remember, when we came to this Karshi-Apo Road last time, we took that road and I saw how bad it was and I said this is not acceptable to us. And we wrote to Mr President and he approved that there should be immediate rehabilitation of that road. And we are doing it under emergency. And we contracted SCC to see how they can rehabilitate the road.
“It is an 18-kilometre road with streetlights and they have given us eight months to complete the work. We know how important that road is, look at many agencies of government along that road. So, if emergency rehabilitation on that road is done and the Apo Karshi Road is completed, then we are free to go.”
However, the Head of Engineering, SCC Nigeria Limited, Engr. Ori Aridor and the Executive Director Engineering, Kakatar Company Limited, Engr. Ezekiel Panan assured the Minister that the projects would be completed on time.