Reps Raise Concerns Over FCT Area Council Road Projects’ Designs

The House of Representatives Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils and Ancillary Matters has raised serious concerns over the engineering designs of some road intervention projects by the FCT Administration.

The Committee, led by Hon. Frederick Agbedi, expressed the concerns Thursday during its oversight visit to the 15-kilometre A2-Pai road and the 11-kilometre Yangoji-Sukuku road, all in the Kwali Area Council of the territory.

The projects are being executed by the Satellite Towns Development Department of the FCTA under the emergency development interventions in the Area Councils.

Resident Engineer of the Department, Engr Ibrahim Kangiwa, informed the committee that the design of the A2-Pai road was jointly done by the department’s experts and those of the contractor, ZEBERCED Construction Limited.

He further explained that the agreement was for a one-year maintenance, after which the Area Councils will take over.

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Kangiwa also said the project, estimated at N30 billion total cost, will have solar-powered street lights installed.

However, the committee was not satisfied with oral explanations of the engineering design, insisting that the agency supply the paperwork to its secretariat by Monday next week.

The panel also expressed fears about the safety of the planned street lights, as substantial portions of the 15-kilometre road were yet unoccupied.

After addressing journalists after inspecting the two roads, the committee’s chairman, Agbedi, said the panel has reservations about some of the projects.

“We, however, had some reservations on some of the issues; we observed that some things may have been done better, as to costs, as to designs and further amendments as to appropriations that could have been done better, but we have resolved to engage with the minister to make sure that we have a better way of addressing those observations that we have made in the course of visiting.

“We will say that they have done well; the ministry leaders have done well. No one is perfect, but we need to get certain things done right so we can know budget subheads, costs of projects, extensive design, and implementation.

“Because if you don’t have an extensive project design, you wouldn’t know to the extent to which a contractor is completing the project. We will take these observations home as a committee and later interface with the ministry of the FCT and the department to ensure that we render good services to the people of the FCT,” Agbedi noted.