The Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike has vowed to extend the ongoing demolition of buildings on waterways in Maitama district to other parts of the city.
Wike, who disclosed this on Wednesday after inspecting some road projects, noted that wherever there is infraction in development plans, the bulldozers will visit there.
“We just started somewhere. After that, we will move to another area. We are not going to end where we started yesterday. We are very serious and I can tell you that we are not going back. It doesn’t matter who is affected”, Minister Wike declared.
Dismissing criticism regarding due process prior to the demolitions, the Minister noted that blocking natural waterways, gives room for flooding, threatening public safety: “You went to block a water channel, is that due process? I’m the one following due process to make sure the right thing is being done… By the time we remove those structures that block the water channel, there will be free flow of water to where it is supposed to be”.
On the projects he inspected, he stated that the extension of the access road from Tungan Madaki community near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to Zuba, the road extension from the Body of Benchers to Ring Road III and the dualization of the access road serving Nile University and Baze University in the Institutions and Research District, were on course, and would be completed on schedule.
He praised the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for advancing construction despite receiving less than 30% mobilization funding and commended their capacity, commitment, and equipment deployment. He assured that the FCT Administration remains fully committed to meeting its financial obligations.
“Let me use this opportunity to commend CCECC. Like I’ve said, these are projects of high capital expenditure, and we have not even mobilized them up to 30%. We can see how committed they are. I always say that contractors should also take into consideration their own support for the growth and development of the city.
“It’s one of those companies that we have seen that money has never been a problem between them and the administration. I sincerely commend them, and I believe they will continue to give the FCT administration the required support to achieve all these projects.
“On our own part, we will not take for granted that they are committed to the realization of the projects. We will do our own part to pay them their money. We will do that. But I really commend them for being committed to this, to the realization of these very important projects.”.