FCT minister Nyesom Wike has rejected the repeated variations of the Ushafa-Bwari road project contract fee.

Mr Wike revealed this while briefing journalists after a visit to the project sites along with FCT minister of state Mariya Mahmoud and other government officials in Abuja on Thursday.

He described the consistent variation of the contract cost of the project as “very embarrassing,” stressing “this is not what we are going to take.”

Mr Wike added, “The job was awarded in 2017 at N20 billion. In 2020, the contract was revised to N50 billion. As I speak to you, they have paid about N50 billion and what is outstanding is about N900 million. Now they are telling us that the N900 million is not enough to complete a job they said had reached 90 per cent completion.”

The FCT minister added, “Therefore, asking for another variation, we are not going to accept. Even the engineering services, we are going to overhaul the system.”

The minister complained of many variations in contract amounts handled by the Federal Capital Development Authority, which he described as “worrisome.”

“I have never seen a thing like this in my life. What we see in FCDA contract variations from N10 billion to N119 billion and from N50 billion to N200 billion is alarming, and I am not going to accept this,” said Mr Wike.

The minister visited the rehabilitation of Lower Usuma Dam Water Works, Gurara Road in Bwari, and expressed displeasure on the delivery of the water project.

The minister said he was told that the project was awarded as an emergency contract but realised on getting to the project site that it had not been awarded fully.

He said he found out that what was given to the contractor was a letter of intent in August 2022.

“I knew the importance of this project in supplying water to our people within the city and its environs. Water is very important, and so I have directed that the project is no longer an emergency,” said Mr Wike.

Mr Wike also mentioned that the project would be re-awarded, adding that his office would supervise the procurement process and invite other companies to bid.

(NAN)