‘I have never seen a thing like this in my life’ – FCT Minister shocked at the rate of contract inflation.
By Admin
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has expressed shock at the rate at which contracts are inflated in the nation’s capital.
The minister said the rate of disparities in projects handled by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) is shocking as learnt.
He described the trend of contract inflation as worrisome and must stop at once. Wike said contracts of about 10 billion have been inflated to 119 billion.
While speaking with pressmen during the inspection of the Ushafa-Bwari road still under construction, the minister said, “I have never seen a thing like this in my life. What we see in FCDA contract variations from N10 billion to N119 billion and from N50 billion to N200 billion is alarming, and I am not going to accept this.”
The minister revealed that just like other contracts, the Ushafa-Bwari road project has been reviewed several times.
“The job was awarded in 2017 at N20 billion. In 2020, the contract was revised to N50 billion. As I speak to you, they have paid about N50 billion, and what is outstanding is about N900 million.
“Now they are telling us that the N900 million is not enough to complete a job they said had reached 90 per cent completion.
“Therefore, asking for another variation, we are not going to accept. Even the engineering services, we are going to overhaul the system,” he disclosed.
Wike, who also visited the rehabilitation of Lower Usuma Dam Water Works, Gurara Road in Bwari, noted that the project was awarded as an emergency contract, but realized on getting to the project site that it had not been awarded fully.
He explained that the project was given to the contractor, who had only shown interest with a letter of intent in August 2022.
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“I knew the importance of this project in supplying water to our people within the city and its environs. Water is very important, and so I have directed that the project is no longer an emergency,” he said.
