The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has said that he is succeeding in his duties at the nation’s capital.
Wike said his success is tied to the fact that he tries to pay the contractors as soon as possible to discourage the possibility of contract variations.
The former Rivers governor said this at the routine inspection of ongoing infrastructure projects in the capital city on Tuesday.
Project sites visited by the minister included the official residence of the Vice President, the outer southern Expressway from Villa roundabout to Ring Road I, and the B6 and B12 road projects.
The minister also said that he is very impressed with the quality of work being done by the contractors, insisting that the people deserve the best.
According to him, “We don’t allow variation because we always try to pay when it is due, so the issue of variation does not come in. I know every contractor would want to have their money as quickly as possible.
So, there is this trust in us that we are going to pay, and we have been paying. Whatever funds we have gotten, we try to pay them without wasting time, and that’s why we are succeeding.”
The minister, however, used the opportunity to call on FCT residents to pay their taxes and ground rents, saying that the government relies heavily on tax revenue to finance infrastructure projects.
“Again, they want roads, they want a good environment, and they want light everywhere. The government does not print money. The government is to tax people and then use that money to improve the area. So, I will always plead with everybody that they should try as much as possible to pay their ground rent,” he said.
