President Muhammadu Buhari will, before May 29 exit date, commission the N50billion permanent site of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) situated along the Airport Road in Abuja.
Consequently, the National Assembly, on Thursday, gave the contractor handling the project, Julius Berger Construction Company, a marching order to complete it within the next 30 days.
Giving the marching order during an on-the-spot assessment tour of the project, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said Julius Berger must complete the project within the stated period.
He quizzed the project consultants on why workers were not on site since the needed fund has been provided.
“I was here in September 2019 and came here again about a year ago when the project was said to be at 95% completion stage but disappointed to be here today and see the project at the same level and without workers on site.
“Take it or leave it, this project must be completed within the next 30 days for commissioning by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The client (NILDS) said it to your hearing here that is not indebted to you. So why the delay? Please use the 30-day window given to you now to get the project completed,” Gbajabiamila stated.
He, however, directed the project executors to table their financial difficulties on the project to the governing council of NILDS in the first week of May for expeditious solution.
But one of the project consultants, Architect Zingart Gonwalk, said fluctuations in exchange rate within the last three years, resulted in outstanding balance of N7.5billion to be paid to Julius Berger.
Earlier, the Director General of NILDS, Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, told officials of Julius
Berger in the presence of the Speaker, that the Institute was not owing the construction firm even as N2.5billion was provided for in the 2023 budget for the completion of the project.
“This project has come a long way and should be delivered for the required usage within the stated period by the Speaker.
“The most important thing to be done between now and then, is for all the offices and lecture rooms to be furnished preparatory to the commissioning,” Prof. Sulaiman said.
LEADERSHIP reports that the project was earlier billed for commissioning in May 2019.
The ultra-modern infrastructure when fully completed and commissioned, will enable the Institute carry out its mandate of building capacity of lawmakers at the
national and regional levels and foster collaboration with other organisations and international institutions.
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