From Fred Itua, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesome Wike, has promised to provide the required funds for the completion of the abandoned official residence of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Wike, who inspected the project on Tuesday in Abuja, requested the contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, to do everything possible to ensure the completion of the project by May, 2024.
The project, which was awarded in 2010 at the cost of N7 billion, had since been abandoned over what the previous administrations attributed to paucity of funds.
But the Minister said in line with the present administration’s renewed hope project, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had instructed him to complete all the abandoned projects to raise the people’s hope in the Nigeria project.
He said though the contractor had said the contract sum has to be increased from N7 billion to N15 billion because of rising cost of materials in the market, the Administration is determined to finish the project in record time.
‘’I have come to see the project and we have told them (the contractor) that we will fund them very well before the end of the month so that they will be able to finish it,’’ the minister said.
The representative of the company handling the project, Mr. Oliver Berger, commended the minister’s belief in the project and assured of timely completion of the project.
Our correspondent reports that the minister also inspected some ongoing road projects within the southern path of the city centre and expressed satisfaction with the level of work done so far.