N18b Project: Minister Gives Contractor Deadline

Abuja Light Rail For Completion 2015MINISTER of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, has directed the contractor handling construction of the N18b treatment plant for Lower Usman Dam in Abuja to ensure the project is completed before the end of 2012.The plant, which is about 95 per cent completed, has capacity to produce 20 million litres of treated water per hour.Speaking while on a good governance tour of federal, state and local government projects, which commenced with the FCT, the minister noted that the facility is the single largest treatment plant in Africa and was embarked upon to provide potable water for residents of the FTC.He observed that the present administration inherited it as a debt project, adding that government has completed payment to the contractor to ensure the project is delivered by the end of the year.Senator Bala Mohammed, who ledthe Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, Special Assistant on Performance Monitoring and Evaluation, Prof Sylvester Monye,and other officials on the tour, expressed government's commitment to deliver the $823m Abuja Rail Mass Transit project by 2015.According to him, the rail project, when completed, would provide effective alternative means of transportation, reduce travel time and generate about 5000 employmentsfor both skilled and unskilled workers.He said that award of the Abuja rail project was predicated on procurement of a $5m loan from the Chinese government while the balance would be financed through appropriation.He observed that the FCT has paid a counterpart fund of N22.6b while about 22 per cent work has been achieved, adding that the slow pace of work was due to delay in approval of the China Exim Bank loan, which has just been granted.
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