Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, expressed strong dissatisfaction over the unauthorized subcontracting of the furniture installation for the ₦39 billion renovation of the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja. During an inspection of both the ICC and the N16 road project in Gishiri, Wike uncovered that the furniture contract, originally awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, had been outsourced to another contractor without his consent.
Wike was taken aback by the discovery, stating, “I was surprised to hear that there is a different contractor for that, which is unacceptable to us. The job was given to Julius Berger entirely. I cannot have different qualities.” In response, he called in the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the Managing Director of the Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), and representatives from Julius Berger to explain the situation.
The Minister did not mince words, warning that any individual found responsible would face serious consequences: “If anybody is found culpable, of course, I must have to apply the big stick. Nobody will be a sacred cow.” Wike also raised concerns over who would bear the cost of the unauthorized contract, stating, “If they say Abuja Investment is the one, who is going to pay for it? So I am not going to accept that.”
Despite this setback, Wike acknowledged the progress of the ICC renovation, commending the overall quality of work, saying, “What I have said is that the quality of work generally is very fine.”
Additionally, Wike inspected the N16 access road and bridge projects by China Geoengineering Corporation (CGC), expressing satisfaction with the quality and speed of work. He highlighted that security reports confirmed that CGC was working around the clock, even late at night. Wike assured that both the ICC renovation and the road projects are on track for completion by May 2025, coinciding with President Bola Tinubu’s second anniversary in office.
