…Bwari, Karu to lead in FCT water project
By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Administration is looking to expand access to portable water to satellite communities, beginning with Bwari, Karu, and Kubwa, as part of a broader infrastructure push.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who disclosed this during an inspection tour of the renovated International Conference Centre and the N5 road project at Jabi junction, said the project has received presidential endorsement and is already progressing through procurement stages.
He said part of the funding for the water project has been included in the national budget by president Bola Tinubu, and has been passed, and is also included in the statutory budget, which has been laid before the National Assembly.
While describing the project as critical to Mr President, the minister explained that, “As I mentioned earlier, part of our inauguration this second year is the Abuja city water supply. Part of it will be done along the airport road. But having done that, what about the satellite towns? Mr. President said we must also provide water within the satellite towns. So, they are starting with Bwari, Karu, and part of Kubwa, and it is now with the Bureau of Public Procurement. The procurement is ongoing, and the company handling it will be CGC, as they are the ones doing the greater Abuja water supply.”
Wike also stressed that the focus of the 2025 budget would be on consolidating ongoing projects rather than initiating new ones, arguing that many critical developments in health and education were already underway and deserved completion.
“A lot of people have asked us to allocate funds to healthcare, education, and other areas. First of all, there are also projects ongoing in the health sector. So, when they say projects, it doesn’t mean only road infrastructure.
“Education and healthcare are part of the ongoing projects, particularly in education. If you see the number of schools being renovated, you’ll understand that education has a significant allocation in the budget, not less than 100 to 140 billion.
“Our intention is not to award new projects but to complete the existing ones. Let them not be abandoned. What I’ve seen is that people want to be the ones awarding new projects. That’s not our intention. Government is a continuum. Public funds, people’s taxes, have been paid, and we use them to complete projects.
“All those abandoned projects will be brought back to the people. What I’ve seen in people is that because you come and say, ‘Oh, let me be the one awarding the new projects.’ That’s not our intention. Our intention is, this is what we saw. Government is a continuum. The public funds, people’s taxes have been paid, and we use it. So complete it. We’re not here to say, ‘Oh, why do I award this? Why do I not award that?’ That is not our intention. All those hopes that were lost, we have to bring them back to the people.”
The Minister also used the occasion to commend Julius Berger for the rapid transformation of the International Conference Centre, a facility he described as an eyesore before the intervention of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“I’d like to commend Julius Berger for the excellent work done at the International Conference Centre. I was thrilled to see the quality of the job, and I believe it’s a testament to what Abuja deserves. This is a prime example of effective leadership.
“The International Conference Centre was built in 1991, and it’s surprising that no one had attempted to give it a facelift until now. Today, it’s been transformed into a world-class facility, thanks to Mr. President’s leadership and support.”
He confirmed that the ICC is the first completed project ready for commissioning to mark the second anniversary of the current administration and assured that the N5 road project is also on schedule.
“Now we’re in N5, and you recall that when this project was flagged up sometime in October or November last year, I did say that Julius Berger should do everything possible to complete the first phase within a reasonable timeframe.
“I’ve been in close contact with the managing director and project manager of Julius Berger, and they’ve assured me that the project will be completed as scheduled.
“I have every confidence in their ability to deliver, given their reputation for excellence and attention to detail. While their services may be expensive, I believe it’s a worthwhile investment in the quality of our infrastructure. As we say in my local parlance, ‘soup wey sweet, na money, kill them.’ In other words, when you need something done right, you have to be willing to invest in it.”
