- Complex ready in August – FCDA
From Fred Itua, Abuja
Despite its earlier promise to renovate the two chambers of the National Assembly by the end of January 2023, contractors handling the renovation work have failed to deliver five months after.
Visible Concept, the construction firm, handling the N30 billion renovation, during a tour of the National Assembly complex in late 2022, told newsmen that the two chambers will be ready before the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June.
No explanation has been offered by the construction firm since it reneged on its earlier promise. The Senate and the House of Representatives, are both using makeshift halls for the plenary, pending when the contractors will round off the repair works.
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) has said that the National Parliament building will not be ready until August.
Executive Secretary, FCDA, Shehu Hadi Ahmad, during a press briefing in his office, explained that the enormity of work required for a world-class parliament building was such that it should not be rushed so as to avoid past mistakes, deliver excellent and lasting results to permanently resolve the challenges of leaky roofs and inconvenient sitting arrangements, among others.
Shehu disclosed that in the course of the N19 billion renovation, remodelling, air-conditioning and furnishings work, the FCDA team visited some of the world’s best parliamentary structures including the 17th-century built parliament building in Rome and that of the European Union in Brussels, Belgium.
According to him, the comfort and convenience of parliamentarians in the two characters -the Senate and House of Representatives were of paramount importance for smooth legislative and budgetary duties.
The Executive Secretary who noted that the Authority has never had it this good as under the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, disclosed that multi-billion naira projects under his supervision were given approvals by the recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings.
He disclosed that barely two weeks ago, approval was granted for the provision of engineering infrastructure to Maitama 2, a new District created by Muhammad Musa Bell during his first tenure.
The N184 billion project awarded to Dantata and Sawoe, with 24 months competition period, will necessitate the commencement of the development of a Diaspora City which is contiguous to the new district.
He stated that the FCT Administration was working on providing access road to Maitama 2, by extending ring 1 to 10-lane Expressway up to Nasarawa State and getting the State to also construct its end, assuring that the developments would provide an alternative route and resolve the perennial traffic situation on the Abuja-Keffi route.
The FCDA boss revealed that other contracts also recently approved for the award by FEC include the construction of three solid waste transfer stations in Mpape, Apo and Kubwa; provision of electric power and water supply to Apo-Tafyi Federal Integrated Staff Housing site and access road and car park for Abuja Light Rail at Stadium and Kukwaba Stations.
Assuring that the Apo-Karshi road was also ongoing and would be completed, the Executive Secretary disclosed that other projects also approved by FEC include the construction of a 15km road from A2 Junction (Abuja-Lokoja Road) to Pai in Kwali Area Council; as well as the construction of Nanda-Pandagi-Dangara-Agyena Road.
According to him, the FCT Administration also received approval for the revised cost for the contraction and equipping of the 220-Bed Gwarinpa District Hospital.
Shehu averred that the Bello administration has had to provide access roads to almost all the rail stations, even as he added contracts, at the ministerial level, have been awarded for resurfacing old and dilapidated roads in most parts of Wuse and Garki.
Noting that government could not do it all alone, the Executive Secretary recalled that the Bello-led FCTA has successfully commenced the development of a first-ever district under the Land for Infrastructure programme, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in the nation’s capital.