The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed strong dissatisfaction over the outsourcing of the furnishing component of the ongoing renovation of the Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC) to a separate contractor.
Wike, during an inspection of the site on Wednesday, acknowledged the quality and pace of work delivered by Julius Berger, the primary contractor, but raised concerns upon learning that the furnishing of the conference hall was not being handled by the same firm.
According to the minister, the contract was originally awarded as a single package to Julius Berger and should not have been fragmented. He summoned officials from Julius Berger, the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to clarify the deviation.
“I was surprised to hear that another contractor is handling the furniture for the conference hall. This is unacceptable. The contract was awarded to Julius Berger in full. I don’t want mixed standards,” Wike stated, stressing the importance of uniform quality.
He questioned who would be responsible for funding the outsourced portion of the project and warned of consequences for any party found to have violated the contract terms. “Nobody is above the law. If anything shady is discovered, I will not hesitate to take action. There are no sacred cows.”
Wike also highlighted the risks of compromising the overall quality of the facility by using different contractors, noting that consistency is essential for high-standard delivery.
Following his inspection of the AICC, the minister visited other major infrastructure projects in the FCT, including the NICON Junction Interchange and the construction of Shehu Shagari Way (N16), which will link with Wole Soyinka Way. He expressed satisfaction with progress on both projects and reiterated that they would be completed and commissioned by May.
“We are committed to delivering on schedule and to the highest standards,” Wike affirmed.
