SAN FRANCISCO, January 26, (THEWILL) – House Committees on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday frowned at the N27.1 billion approved for the construction of the residential building for the four principal officers of the National Assembly by the last administration.
Reports indicate that sum of N12 billion had so far been released to Julius Berger, the contractor handling the project, by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, leaving a balance of N15.1 billion.
The lawmakers, who made the observation during their oversight function to the ongoing renovation of the dilapidated United Nations building located at Central Business District, also alleged that the N5.1 billion earmarked for the section destroyed by Boko Haram in 2011 was outrageous.
The lawmakers also visited the Vice President’s residence and the residential building of the Senate president, speaker of the House of Representatives and their deputies.
They alleged that the money paid to the contractor handling the projects by the supervising agency, (FCTA), was not commiserate with the level of work done so far, just as they frowned at the failure of the contractor to appear on site, despite earlier communication.
According to Ogbeide Omoregie (APC-Edo), “the said money for renovation of a single building is too much and even the pace of work is very slow, yet the government has released the sum of N3.9 billion to the contractor.
“But we cannot say whether the sum is too much or little for now until we get the Bill of Quantity, as requested by the committee.”
From the sum of N7.1 billion contract sum approved for the Vice President’s residential building, FCDA has so far paid N6.2 billion, leaving an outstanding of N900 million.
The National Assembly residential buildings for its principal officers were awarded at N27.1 billion with a disbursement of N12 billion.
In response to the inquiries, Musa Ibrahim, FCDA director in charge of public building who apologised for the absence of Julius Berger’s officials, said inadequate funding was responsible for the delay in completing the projects.
While briefing on the position of the Committee, Yusuf Buba, member of the committee, frowned at the lackadaisical attitude of the contractor towards the completion of the projects.
The lawmaker, who queried their absence of the contractors on site despite earlier communication from the committee, faulted the FCT administration for paying so much despite the paltry work done so far.
“So many questions are to be answered, we are not happy with what we are seeing and we promise to get to the root of the matter. We will go back to the drawing board because public funds must be accounted for especially at this era of change,” Buba submitted.
Story by David Oputah
