By Sarah NEGEDU
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, may have terminated the agreement for the construction of Karshi-Arah road, saying the FCT Administration has no business constructing interstate roads.
The road connecting Karshi, in Abuja Municipal Area Council, to Arah community in Nasarawa State, is expected to open up both communities.
However Wike, on Tuesday, described the road as a federal project and will therefore not commit more funds to it, especially with the delay in completion of the Apo-Karshi road.
He gave the condition that the FCT will return to the project if it becomes a joint venture between the FCTA and Nasarawa State.
In his words, “First of all, I don’t see a reason why we should do road from Karshi to Arah, which is Nassarawa, that means it is an interstate road. Interstate road has to do with federal government. FCT cannot fund an interstate road except it becomes a joint venture. Therefore, I am not going to waste the resources of FCT to do interstate road.”
The minister who was obviously disappointed at the level of completion of the Apo-Karshi road, said the project has been politicized and therefore affecting the rate of completion.
The contract for the project was awarded in 2011, with over 80 percent funding. However the project has suffered several set backs since then.
“The one that concerns FCT particularly is the Karshi-Apo. It is very unfortunate that for 13 good years, this road has been abandoned and I want to say clearly that part of the problem we have here is politics. Everything we politicize and that is why the development cannot get quickly to our people.
“I’m happy that this new administration of Renewed Hope Agenda, will do everything possible to see the area of Karshi to Apo is completed but my doubt is about the capacity of the contractor. I don’t need to be told, when you go to a site and you see where the company is working, you can say that this company has capacity.
“We’ve been to several sites, all of us can attest to the fact that when you see equipment, you can say that if they tell you they can finish the work in the next one month, you’d believe that they’d finish in the next one month. But this I don’t believe even if you put all the resources down.”
Inspite the doubt, the minister stated that the project cannot be revoked as it will cost the administration more to pay off the contract.
“Again if you go and terminate the contract, then you would also have to pay the cost of it. So these are the problems.
“I want to urge the contractor, it will no longer be business as usual. I don’t care who you are. I don’t care where you come from. You must show that you will be serious. In the next few weeks, I want to see your equipments on ground before funds would be released. I will not release funds to you, when I have not seen your capacity. So they must move their equipments to the site and then they can convince me. But I can tell you here that I am not happy. This is not what citizens bargained for.”
