FCTA begins rehabilitation of Federal Secretariat with N8bn

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun renovation works on the Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase I, in Abuja.

City & Crime learnt that the project will gulp N8,110,665,676.79.

The Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, who flagged off the rehabilitation on Tuesday at the complex, described the exercise as a milestone in the efforts of the FCTA to rehabilitate public buildings and infrastructure in the nation’s capital.

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The minister noted that the secretariat complex, like many other public buildings in the FCT, was constructed 30 years ago and hence required rehabilitation.

He also noted that the exercise was the culmination of several discussions with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr (Mrs) Folashade Esan, who was passionate about the provision of conducive working environment for civil servants.

Speaking on funding for the project, the minister said that budgetary provisions were a constraint and so called for concerted effort to ensure adequate funding.

Bello, who frowned at the level of abuse of public buildings in the FCT, also called for reforms in the existing procurement system for the maintenance of public facilities and suggested that a cadre of civil servants should be established for the maintenance of public buildings

Earlier, Dr (Mrs) Esan commended the FCTA for working to ensure that the environment where civil servants spent most of their time was conducive, noting that the rehabilitation would come with increased productivity.

The Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr Shehu Hadi Ahmad, explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC), after due process, approved the award of the Phase 1 of the contract to Julius Berger at the sum of N8,110,665,676.79, with a completion period of 24 months.

He explained that the rehabilitation would be carried out in phases to ensure that government activities were not paralysed.

Explaining the scope of work of the project, the Director, Public Buildings at the FCTA, Architect Adebowale Ademo, disclosed that the Phase I involved the rehabilitation of wet areas, conveniences on all floors, construction of new lifts, painting and repair of pervasive leaking roofs.

The Project Manager of Julius Berger, Oliver Berger, assured that the company would in conjunction with the users of the building ensure that all works were carried out successfully while still providing comfort to the civil servants at work.