Federal government’s inability to pay its 20% counterpart funding is the reason for the delay in the delivery of the $470million Greeter Abuja Water Project as planned, five years after it was conceived, the contractor handling the project has indicated
The Project Manager of China Geo – engineering Company (CGC) handling the project, Zhong Xiang, told senators and newsmen at the site in Jahi that while China Exim Bank has released $150m, the Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to release any portion of the 20% counterpart fund.
Xiang, who made the disclosure on Monday during oversight by the Senate Committee on FCT on various projects being executed across the various districts, said what was earlier considered to be a legacy project is seriously being threatened as far as execution and delivery are concerned.
This he said has kept the planned delivery of the project at bay five years after it was concieved.
“This project was conceived to boost water supply across the various districts in the federal capital territory but what is delaying its execution is the failure of the federal government of Nigeria to meet its own obligation.
“As contractors handling the project, we appealed to the Hon. Minister and Distinguished Senators to please help in facilitating the release of the 20% counterpart funding”, he noted.
Meanwhile, in other districts visited by the Senate Committee, there were indications of seriousness in execution of projects.
At Institutional District alone, the sum of N34b has been set aside for the construction of roads, bridges, railway corridors construction of which are ongoing and at various stages of completion.
Speaking in one of the sites at Institutional District, the FCT Minister, Mallam Musa Mohammad Bello, said the district is named Institutional due to the presence of many institutions in the area.
He listed some of the institutions to include National Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), ECOWAS Parliament, ECOWAS Commission, National Judicial Institute, First Ladies Peace Mission, Baze University, Nile University, Teaching Hospital etc.
According to him, “The Institutional District strecthes across Ring road 3 and Airport Expressway with required supportive infrastructure.”
The Minister led the committee to a 10-km road being constructed with 400 metres stretch of bridge at the Central Business District behind the US Embassy and Kukwaba District along the Airport Road.
▪︎Report by National Update