By Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has raised concerns over a surprise subcontracting decision regarding the ongoing rehabilitation of Abuja’s International Conference Centre (ICC), demanding immediate clarification from all parties involved.
During a site inspection of the ICC and the N16 road in Gishiri, Wike discovered that the furnishing of the conference hall had been handed to a different contractor by the Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL), despite the main contract being awarded to Julius Berger.
Expressing displeasure, Wike said, “I was surprised to hear that there is a different contractor for that, which is unacceptable to us. The job was given to Julius Berger entirely. I cannot have different qualities.” He stressed the importance of maintaining consistency in standards, warning against fragmenting project execution.
The minister immediately summoned an emergency meeting with top officials from Julius Berger, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), and AICL to determine who authorized the controversial outsourcing. “Nobody should be a sacred cow,” Wike warned. “If anything shady went on, you’ll hear that I’ve applied the big stick.”
While noting that the overall quality of work remains commendable, he emphasized that all contractors must stick to agreed terms. “I am not going to accept that. We must know who gave the order to exclude Julius Berger from furnishing,” he said.
Wike concluded with optimism, expressing confidence that contractors would meet their deadlines ahead of President Tinubu’s second anniversary. He assured support from his administration, stating, “Quality job done. I congratulate them and assure them that on our part, we will do all we can to make sure the job is completed on schedule.
