Business
Minister Wants Contractors To Identify Challenges
The Special Duties Minister, retired Navy Capt. Omoniyi Olubolade, on Thursday, directed contractors handling on-going projects within the FCT to compile a list of challenges confronting them.
The minister gave the directive in Abuja while responding to complaints by some contractors handling projects in the FCT.
Olubolade said his ministry was committed toward addressing such challenges to facilitate the timely completion of projects.
“We will collaborate with the appropriate ministry to encourage them to hasten up, give approval where it is needed, instructions where necessary so that the contractors can speed up their work and deliver these projects to the masses.”
“The problems included non-payment of compensation to house owners and restriction of a free flow of water in a particular vicinity thereby endangering the lives of the citizenry.”
“All these are minor problems that can be solved to reduce the delivery time by reasonable period,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Mr Bayo Baderinwa, an Assistant Chief Engineer in charge of providing engineering infrastructure to Kubwa satellite town districts four and five, said complaints had been presented to the appropriate authorities
Baderinwa, an FCDA staff, appealed to the National Assembly to include the funds for compensation in the supplementary budget in order to ensure a speedy completion of the project.
He said the district four job, which is the construction of dual carriage road, had been obstructed by a farmland, describing this as a major challenge.
For district five, he said 17 roads had been completed up to asphalt level, adding that the project when completed would reduce the usual congestion at Kubwa junction and Zuba.
He put the cost of the project at N18.84 billion, adding that the contract was awarded in March 2007 with the duration of 108 weeks.
“Our challenges are the obstructions on the road corridor and prompt payment to the contractors handling the job,’’ he said.
Reports say that the scope of work included electrification and water supply.