When FCT minister berated contractor over poor work on Kuje-Gwagwlada road

When the FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, was led by officials of the Satellite Towns Development Agency (STDA), to inspect the Gwagwalada road last month, he did not mince words to show his dissatisfaction with the quality of work done. The project, which was being handled by an indigenous construction company, Craine Builders and Engineering […]

When the FCT minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, was led by officials of the Satellite Towns Development Agency (STDA), to inspect the Gwagwalada road last month, he did not mince words to show his dissatisfaction with the quality of work done.

The project, which was being handled by an indigenous construction company, Craine Builders and Engineering Nigeria Limited failed to impress the minister and he expressed disappointment over the way the contractor was handling the work.

While inspecting the ongoing work, the minister, who was led by the director of STDA, Mrs. Imande Victoria, director Engineering services as well as the Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Haruna Jibrin Tanko and chairman of Kuje area council, Alhaji Abdullahi D. Galadima, berated the contractor who was handling the work, and  described it as a ‘substandard’ work.

He said that all the major projects that are almost completed within Abuja city, that are facing funding problems, he had always ensured that funds are released to such contractors to enable them carry out a quality job.

“Are you not the same engineer handling the Karshi-Ara road? Honestly, I am very disappointed with your work on the Kuje-Gwagwalada road. Each of your projects I go to see, I feel highly disappointed. “The minister told the contractor.

He added “contractor I will tell you, what we have done in the city if you go you will see. All the major projects that are almost completed that have funding problems, we have been funding them, and even this project we are going to fund. When I asked them to give me account, they showed me CV 1 to 3 has been paid over N300 million, ‘’ the minister said.   

He said his administration was ever ready to ensure that the contractor gets his money, but urged the contractor that he must ensure he did a quality job.

 “What this gentle man is saying is that you should concentrate on the carriage way and later do the shoulder and drainage. Why don’t you just go ahead with both the drainage, shoulders and the carriage at the same time, ‘ he asked the contractor.  

The minister, who noted that despite having a funding problem some few months ago, he ensured that funds were released to contractors to enable them continue with their work.

He said the Kuje-Gwagwalada road is one of the  routes traversing one of the agricultural zones in the federal capital, which he said needed to be in line with the required standard.

Bello regretted that the work was below the expected standard, while blaming officials of the STDA for not guiding the contractor to do the work according to specifications in spite of the huge amount expended on the road project.

He added that the STDA officials had also failed for not living to expectations in supervising the work as well as reporting to him the true situation of things, rather than pushing of contract files for him to approve payment for contractors.

“For this project, I heard that the ES has to look for them to sit down and discuss because your office simply couldn’t manage this project. The final meeting that they held was done by the ES because your office simply couldn’t manage it Madam and that is why we are facing problems spending so much money but the rural Abuja is not getting any project and that is the point, “the minister told the STDA director, Mrs Victoria Imande.  

He said the FCT administration had spent over N60 billion on various projects within the last one year.

The minister, however, said the need for him to embark on supervision of the road was part of policy of his administration of ensuring that infrastructural projects are completed, saying the FCT administration had spent a lot of time in ensuring that various projects across the territory are completed. 

He noted that the next phase of his administration programme was to look at rural roads outside the city since the inhabitants’ uses such routes to bring goods and services to the city. 

He ordered the Gomo of Kuje, Alhaji Haruna Jibrin Tanko, to always ensure he plies the road in order ensure they carry out a quality job, while also urging the contractor to always channel any challenge he faces through the traditional ruler.

‘So I want to urge you the contractor that whatever challenges you are facing, you should always channel it to his royal highness here, because I have no confidence in any of the STDA officials here. And you the Gomo of Kuje, you have to be coming here every week to look at the work, “Bello further told the contractor.

Aso Chronicle observed that the completed section of the road has no drainage system.

It was gathered that the Kuje-Gwagwalada road was awarded since 2007, to three indigenous construction companies, but was yet to be completed.

Reacting, the managing director of Craine Builders And Engineering Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Aminu Shehu, said since the section of the road was awarded to his company in 2011, water and wiring was not captured in the award of the road project.

He said the company was making effort to liaise with the management of the STDA in order to award to drainage and wiring so that it will carry out the work.