Wike warns FCTA officials, contractors against contract variation

• Wike urged the residents of Gwagwalada to support the contractor and tasked the contractor with employing youth in the area council

Barrister Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has warned FCTA staff, particularly the Coordinator of Satellite Towns Development Department and the Director of Engineering Services, as well as the contractor in charge of projects in the Gwagwalada Area Council, against contract variations.

The minister issued the warning on Wednesday at the start of the rehabilitation of the Aguma Palace-Radio Nigeria-New Market Road in the Gwagwalada area council of Abuja.

Wike requested that the contractor take advantage of the dry season to complete the project in record time, noting that climate change could bring the rains back at any time.

He urged the residents of Gwagwalada to support the contractor and tasked the contractor with employing youth in the area council who do not have jobs.

He said: “Support the contractors so they can finish this work on time. And let me also implore the contractor to please make sure that our youth who do not have jobs are also employed. To work, to earn a living, to see their families, they can also make some supplies; they can also be small contractors.”

“So, let me assure you by the grace of God, in the next 10 months we will come back here to the glory of God and commission this particular project. I said yesterday, when we went to Kwali, when we went to flag off Pai to Gomani Road, let me repeat this: Mr President did not appoint me or the Minister of State to come and preside over selling of your land; that is not why we were appointed.”

“Mr President appointed us to see how we can contribute towards the improvement and development of FCT and other area councils. That’s why we are here. We are here to give you water; we are here to give you roads; we are here to make you happy.”

“Let me please tell you, contractor, now we are having dry season. Utilize this period to make sure the work is carried out well. You know how it is with climate change; you never can tell when the rains will come. So as we have it now, utilize the opportunity and make sure we have no problem of delay.”

“Let me also warn you that there is no provision in our budget for variation. I don’t want to hear that there is a gully somewhere. We have taken note of all those things before the bill of quantities was prepared.”

“The Coordinator and Director of Engineering Services, you know I know the tricks. So there is no need for, like I said, us to not know on the last side of it that there was a heavy gully. So we don’t believe in variation; we don’t believe in augmentation. So if you guys create a gully for yourself, use your money and do that gully.”