FCT: Wike doubts contractor handling Apo-Karshi Road

The FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, Thursday, inspected the Apo-Karshi Road project, which has been on for over a decade, casting a doubt on the contractor handling the project.

The minister had, a few months ago, visited the 13.25 kilometres road, which was awarded at a cost of N6.4 billion in 2011 by the past FCT administration and ordered the contractor back to site.

The minister, who was visibly not satisfied by the level of work on the road during his second visit on Thursday, said, “Obviously, we thought that within seven months, they ought to have completed, but unfortunately, the contractors were not able to move to site because of some procurement processes. But thank God, we have passed that stage and they have also been mobilised to move to the site.”

The minister added, ‘’I still have my doubts. I will not lie to you. I still have my doubts, but the company is still insisting that by April they would have completed this project.

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“It is a project that is very dear to us. We know the importance of this road, so many people are eager to see that this project is completed on time, so that it will ease off a lot of traffic jams, and it will also boost the economy of the area.

‘’I believe that they will play their own part by doing what they are supposed to do, the funds are there to be given to them, and we believe that if they put more efforts, if I come here again and see that they have improved on what we have seen on ground today, I will tell the treasury department to release funds to them. But for now, let’s watch them. But we are very serious with this project.”

Wike also stopped over at Kpyegye on the Nyanya-Karu-Orozo Road to inspect the ongoing emergency rehabilitation work on it.

The minister said the 18-kilometre road attracted his attention due to the traffic gridlock being experienced by those living on the axis, adding that he wrote to President Bola Tinubu, who gave approval for immediate rehabilitation.

He assured that the repair work would be completed in eight months.