The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has issued a 30-day ultimatum to a construction firm, Julius Berger, to complete the permanent site of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
Gbajabiamila, who visited the site on Thursday in Abuja, issued the ultimatum after expressing disappointment with the level of work so far done on the project.
He said that the leadership of the National Assembly had done all it could to ensure that the project was completed.
“We have dedicated funds, and we are not getting anything commensurate with the funds that have been sunk into this project.”
“The last time I was here two years ago, the work was at a 95 percent completion stage.”
“If they have moved a little bit and it is at 98 percent now, the remaining two percent should not be a problem in terms of completion in the next 30 days.”
“I am very disappointed that we are still at this stage and there is nobody working here,” he said.
The Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, also expressed disappointment with the level of the project, which, he said, had been awarded since 2013.
“We got a commitment from Julius Berger that once the liabilities on the projects, as they were two years ago, were settled, they would come back to the site.”
“As of today, I can tell you we are not owing Julius Berger; we are not indebted to them; there is no outstanding liability, and the pledge they made to us has not been kept.”
“That is why the speaker is insisting that the project must be commissioned in the next 30 days by Mr. President before he leaves.”
“Whatever it is going to take them to do something between now and the next 30 days, I expect them to give it,” he said.
Suleiman said that the project was not a retail business where cash and carry should be applied, stressing that when contracts were awarded, the project should normally go on while money comes in.
According to him, the construction firm may be facing the problem of having too many projects outside Abuja.
Attempts made by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to get the reactions of Julius Berger officials on site to the development proved abortive, as they declined to comment.
The spokesperson for the company, Mr. Moses Duku, could also not be reached on the phone at the time of filing this report.
NAN
