FCT Minister reiterates commitment to Abuja’s water project

Favour Ishember Abuja

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) , Malam Muhammad Musa  Bello has reiterated his commitment to  residents of Abuja, on the completion of the on going  water works project.

Conducted members of the Committee who came for Oversight function,  round the  water works and other project sites in Abuja, Bello said the project was conceived to solve water problems in many parts of the city.

He appealed to the lawmakers to pay urgent attention to the project, so that the administration will meet up with it’s 20 percent counter part funding for the project.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Tolu Odebiyi said the purpose of the project tour was to determine FCT’s priority projects, so as to know where to appropriate funds to, during budget presentation.

Odebiyi noted that having seen the projects and their importance, he would get galvanize the support of other lawmakers to ensure that the water works and other projects were completed in time.

” We want to know what there priority projects are so that when they will present their budgets, we will know Which funds to be made available for which project

” I  must also commend the team of FCTA for the extent of the work which they are doing . We have seen a number of projects and we are highly impressed.

” The greater Abuja Water Works is also very impressive work and is being funded by China EXIM bank, a foreign currency bank . I think it is important that we look at that so that we can make plans for the counter part funding”, he added.

Also, the Project Manager of CGC,  Zhang Xiang, the  Contractor handling the project , said the speed of the water works was impeded by paucity of funds.

Xiang urged the Lawmakers to expedite action on the release of 20 percent counter part funding which Nigerian government through FCT was supposed to provide.

According to him, the China EXIM bank has released about $150 million dollars from its 80 percent counter part funding, and may not release more if, FCT fails to provide its own 20 percent.