The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning to contractors handling government projects in the territory, urging them to stick to their timelines and fulfill their contractual obligations without excuses.
Speaking at the official commissioning of the Arterial Road N16 (Shehu Shagari Way) linking Ring Road 1 (Nnamdi Azikiwe Way) to Arterial Road N20 (Wole Soyinka Way) — along with several other completed road projects in Katampe District — Wike emphasized his zero-tolerance stance on project abandonment.
“This job was awarded by the Federal Executive Council in September. We flagged it off in October,” Wike said during the ceremony, which was presided over by President Bola Tinubu. “I told the contractor clearly: I don’t want to hear the word ‘abandonment.’”
The FCT Minister stressed that excuses around weather conditions would not be tolerated, adding: “If I pay you during the rainy season, you must work during the rainy season.
If it’s the dry season, same thing. Don’t tell me the rain was too much. If you can’t work, return the money and we’ll keep it till the rain stops.”
Wike, known for his fiery rhetoric and hands-on leadership style, recalled his initial doubts about the project’s contractor, CGC Nigeria Limited.
He said those doubts have since been erased by the company’s consistent performance.
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“At first, I was skeptical about CGC. But then I saw what they did with the road from the Presidential Villa to Asokoro — an interchange that wasn’t even awarded under this administration. Yet they completed it. That gave me confidence.”
He said the contractors gave him their word that the projects would be ready for commissioning during President Tinubu’s second year in office.
“I asked them if I should include the project among those to be commissioned this year, and they said yes,” Wike said. “Now, I told them — and I’m repeating it — to look for my trouble is not good. You’ve made a promise, and you must keep it.”
The commissioning of the arterial roads marks a major milestone in ongoing infrastructure upgrades in the FCT, with President Tinubu praising the efforts to improve road connectivity and ease of movement in the capital.
Wike’s remarks come as part of his broader campaign to demand accountability from contractors and ensure timely delivery of projects funded by taxpayers’ money.