Babatunji Wusu –
The N85 billion contract for the provision of infrastructure for the Wasa Affordable Housing project in Wasa District, Abuja, has drawn criticism from the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike.
When he brought Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, and other government representatives to the housing estate’s road construction site on Monday, Wike conveyed his unhappiness.
The contract for the provision of the infrastructure was originally given in 2014 at a price of N26 billion, but it was later revised to N85 billion in 2018. Mr. Olusegun Olusan, acting coordinator for the Satellite Town Development Department, revealed this earlier.
Olusade informed the minister that the contractor had received a total of N21 billion to date, leaving a balance of N64 billion, and that the amount of work completed to far is 21.4%.
The coordinator for the housing program emphasized that while private developers would construct the homes and sell them to the general public at reasonable prices, the government’s job was to supply the land and infrastructure.
He continued by saying that a two-bedroom apartment was originally intended to be sold to the general public for N7 million.
The minister, however, was unimpressed with the FCT’s arrangement, stating that the government should not spend N85 billion to provide land and infrastructure while providing no benefits.
“We don’t think the FCT’s setup is really good. The government cannot just spend N85 billion on infrastructure and then hand over land to private developers who would construct and resell it.
“This kind of setup is absolutely, positively not commendable. We believe that since the government gave the infrastructure and the land, they must also participate.
“Common sense dictates that when working with private individuals or developers, you offer the land and infrastructure while they come and carry out the development.
According to the valuation, the government might take 10% and the developers might take 90%, the man added.
According to Wike, the government would be free to choose the price at which the houses would be sold to the general public under such circumstances. He said that the general public could not afford to pay N7 million for a home.
According to him, the project would be reevaluated for good planning so that the government would profit from it and make sure that the people for whom the houses were being built could afford them.
The minister stated that FCT will not be giving contracts for the sake of awarding them about the project’s nine-year delay.
“We will only grant contracts that we are confident we can complete before moving on to the next one.
Because there is no money, every contract is broken. We will thus examine everything, the minister stated.
The minister had earlier seen the construction of the road leading to the offices of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission and the building housing the Body of Benchers.
According to the minister, a meeting with the contractor was scheduled for Tuesday to discuss how to finish the road works.
“We’ve also traveled to Kabusa Junction in Abuja, where development control bulldozed shanties. As we previously stated, the FCT cannot be taken over by shantytowns.
“The development control has done well by making sure that the shanties in the area are destroyed, and we are going to protect the area to ensure that the miscreants do not return to mess up the place again,” added Wike. (NAN)
