“I HAVE TAKEN A PERSONAL INTEREST IN THIS ROAD”, WIKE ASSURES RESIDENTS AS HE INSPECTS APO-KARSHI ROAD

–         PLEDGES ITS COMPLETION IN SEVEN MONTHS

1.     The Minister of FCT, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, inspected the ongoing construction of the Apo/Karshi Road in the Federal Capital Territory.

2.     The Minister who expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of work on the road since the contract was awarded in 2011, stressed that he has taken a personal interest in the project and will see to its completion in the next seven months.

3.     The FCT Minister blamed the delay in project execution on politics and personal interests.

4.      The Minister who also noted that the people have lost confidence in the government as a result, stressed that the present Administration, through the Renewed Hope Agenda, has come to restore the lost confidence of the people.

5. Responding to his company’s inability to complete the work on schedule, the Project officer for Kakatar Engineering,  Engr Ezekiel Panan said that  in addition to the Apo Karshi Road, his company was  also awarded the contract to construct the Karshi-Ara Road into Nasarawa State.

6. Barr. Wike however explained that this situation was unacceptable as the Karshi-Ara Road was an interstate road which was not the responsibility of the FCT Administration to construct.

6.     He said, “I don’t see the reason why we should do the road from Karshi to Ara in Nasarawa because it is an interstate road. Interstate road has to do with the Federal Government. FCT cannot fund an interstate road, except it becomes a joint venture.

7.     “The one that concerns FCT is the Karshi/Apo, which of course the people have been yearning for. It’s 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.

8.     “Under this present administration of the Renewed Hope Agenda, we will do everything possible to see the Karshi to Apo road is completed”.

9.     The FCT Minister while also expressing doubt in the capacity of the contractor to complete the project, warned that it would no longer be business as usual. He said the contractor must quickly mobilize to site in the next few weeks and demonstrate seriousness before funds would be released.

10.He said “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 equipment on ground before funds will be released. I am not going to release funds when I’ve not seen that capacity.

11.“So, they must move the equipment to site and then that will convince me and then we can release some funds. But I can tell you that I’m not happy at all. This is not what citizens bargained for. Therefore, I will take this road as a personal project to make sure we complete this road”.

12.Speaking further on the capacity of indigenous contractors, the Minister said some of them were “political contractors”, adding that they were the ones giving bad names to local contractors.

13.The Minister however said that he still has confidence in the local contractors but stressed that he will continue to prioritize the major contractors for major roads in the FCT.

14.He said, “Major roads, I don’t play politics with it and that’s why people will say, why do you give your roads to Julius Berger. What I want is the best quality for the people. When you go to the city, you see Julius Berger, you see Setraco, you see CGC. It’s because we want the best for the people. And if I was in charge that period, I wouldn’t have allowed it for a major road like this”. 

15.On whether the FCTA will consider the dualisation of the Karshi/Apo road to accommodate foreseen traffic, the Minister said the plan is to stick to the original design of a single lane carriageway, adding that its expansion would be considered in future as the area develops.

16.He said what was important for now is for the people to have a good road that will enable them to go on about their businesses, adding that the construction of the road will also reduce insecurity in the FCT. 

17. The Minister also appealed for the understanding of the communities around the Karshi area, assuring that the  government is ready to work for their interests in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.

18.  He also sued for patience among Nigerians, saying that the present government was working to address the challenges in the country, adding that the problems in the country could not be solved overnight. 

18 Speaking on the planned protest by some Nigerians  Barr Wike urged young Nigerians in the FCT not to embark on anti-government protests, saying that the planned protest was politically motivated.

19.while urging them to be patient, he said, “A government has just come to see what it can do at least to move from where we are to a certain level and you say that miracle must be performed within one year.

20.“You are here now and we are talking about contract that was awarded 13 good years ago. What has happened? Nothing, and now a government has come to see how it can fix all these things and we are too much in a haste that it must be done now. That is not possible. The protest is a political protest.

21.“Yes, everybody is not happy that there is hunger, everybody is not happy that there is unemployment. But this unemployment was not started and was not created by this administration”.

22.The Minister added that, “The administration is just trying to put things together which of course will take some time. I agree with Nigerians, when you are hungry, you don’t want to listen to anything again because you are hungry. But understand that somebody is trying to solve that problem of hunger.

23.“So let us not listen to political protests, political jobbers who just want to be popular. Just know that this government is serious, this government is working hard to see that these things are solved”.

ANTHONY OGUNLEYE

DIRECTOR OF PRESS

(OFFICE OF THE HON. MINISTER)

23/07/2024

FCTA/ODP/PR/561