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The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed concern over the funding methodology for the Abuja Rail Mass Transit project.
The minister said on Wednesday that contractor handling the project, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), was insisting that a certain amount must be paid in dollars in accordance with the terms of contract.
Wike stated this when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation to defend the FCT budget on the supplementary bill sent to the House by President Bola Tinubu.
He said: “I have been there as I came on board and the President directed the day the Nigerian Bar Association held its yearly conference that he wants to ride on the metro line, at least in his one year in office, which I think with your support, we are going to achieve it.
“The amendment I want to make is this. Yes, the project here was provided with N22 billion. Our problem is the dollar component of the project. This project was awarded in naira and dollar components.
“Right now, the contractor, CCECC, is saying that it needs a $7 million component. I will plead if it is possible with this N22 billion if looking at the differentials, we can provide for the dollar component of $7 million and whatever that is remaining will be the naira component.
“This is because we tried to pay them in Naira but they said that the contract was in Dollar and Naira component.”
Wike said the FCT was allocated N100 billion in the supplementary bill, adding that N3.4 billion has been budgeted for security to buy equipment and logistics.
The minister expressed confidence that most of the infrastructure projects in FCT, especially the roads, would be fixed before the next rainy season.