Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike said his administration aims to complete the construction of the B6 and B12 roads connecting Constitution Avenue and Abuja City Gate within the next seven months. Wike, who gave the confirmation after touring some of the abandoned projects in Abuja on Thursday, added that the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat buildings would also be completed within the next seven to eight months.
Among the abandoned projects, the residence of the vice president, which was awarded in 2010, and the apartments of the presidents of the Riigikogu near the Riigikogu, which were awarded in 2009, were visited. The minister, who was accompanied by the FCT Minister of State , Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, and the Chief of Staff, FCT Administration, Adesola Olusade, also visited the Millennium Tower construction site in downtown Abuja.
Wike stated that he does not want to make excuses, adding that he will do his best to implement some projects while projects beyond the capacity of the FCT ministry will be directed to help President Bola Tinubu. Describing the road connecting the City Gate to Constitution Avenue as a “very important infrastructure” that will transform the landscape of Abuja, he disclosed that Julius Berger promised to carry out the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat within 7-8 months.
“I want to assure you that two projects will be completed in the next six to seven months,” he said.
The minister commented on the condition of the residences of the Vice President and Speakers of the National Assembly and said he would report to President Tinubu to agree on further action. “Before we were sworn in, Mr. President told me and the Minister of Foreign Affairs that we will do everything possible to restore some of the buildings and facilities that make Abuja a world-class city.
One of them is the road network and facilities like the Millennium A tower that brings tourists and families to have fun,” he said. Noting the challenge of funding, Wike said he will engage with the FCT Minister of Foreign Affairs and the FCTA Cabinet Secretary to reorganize funding for some projects. He added that he would rather allocate money to a specific project and complete it than allocate N500 million annually to a project of over 150 billion and still not complete it.
“This means that you will not be able to finish the project in the next 20 years. So what’s the point of wasting public funds? The fund is a challenge, yes, but we are here to solve such a challenge,” said the minister. Other officials close to the minister included the Secretary General, Federal Capital Development Authority, Mr. Shehu Hadi and other FCTA officials and top management officials.