‘FCTA Didn’t Release Funds’ – Contractor Explains Delay In Construction Of Deplorable Gwagwalada Market Road  

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has been blamed for the deplorable condition of the Gwagwalada Market Road in the  Federal Capital Territory.

Telview Construction Company, the firm awarded the contract since 2021 has revealed money for the construction of the road was not released by the FCTA.

In an interview with THE WHISTLER, Femi Emmanuel, one of the engineers of the company, said  his company has not been funded by the office of the Minister of State for FCT and the  Satellite Town Infrastructure Development Agency.

THE WHISTLER gathered that the contract was awarded about 3 years ago, but construction started on 3rd October last year, after this newspaper reported the condition of the road and the pain it was causing road users.

But nearly one year after, the road remains untouched and only a low gutter was constructed.

” The contract had been awarded a long time ago, but they did not mobilise. Roughly, the contract was given about 2 and half years ago. Even after awarding the contract, nothing. No follow up, no mobilisation for a year. They abandoned it for more than a year. Then the next thing they let us go to site and commenced work, but what do we go to site with? No money.

“One day they just called us and said, ‘you know there’s no money, but take this and start work’. That was how we started work. And since we started work, give us out of this money let us continue the work, it is our money, it’s inside the contract agreement, but nothing. It’s finance, so what do I do?,” Emmanuel said in frustration.

But that was when THE WHISTLER first visited the road On 7th July, 2023. He added that monitoring team from the FCDA, Accountant General’s office and others visited the site.

He said, “When they came, they asked that we should raise the certificate of what we have done. We have given them the certificate, their own remains to minute on it, pass it on and let them pay us. If they push the certificate for us quickly and pay, the most difficult part of this work is what we are doing now. This lane and the other lane will not take more than two, three weeks for us to finish. 

“Meanwhile, we did not stop work. We have raised the certificate and the FCDA is on it, because definitely it will be on their side if there’s any delay now.  Most of the other contractors doing the other roads have abandoned their work because of money.

“After mobilising us the first time and seeing that we have commenced work, as I’m talking to you, they are supposed to give us our remaining money, but everything is on standstill. And from that place for us to get our funding to this level it’s not a small thing,” he said.

Emmanuel explained that the total kilometres awarded to them in the contract was 7.5 kilometres covering both the road at the back and front of the market. 

He explained that the stagnant water around the roadside is the major cause of the bad road, this is due to the shallow drainage around the roads. He said the drainages were filled up, making the water to overflows, that’s why they’re currently expanding the drainage.

On Monday when THE WHISTLER called Mr Emmanuel to find out if they had been mobilized for the construction, he did not give a positive answer.

“I’m on the site, I cannot confirm if they have mobilised or not, but meanwhile, since work is still going, maybe they have mobilised them,” he told our reporter.

THE WHISTLER also visited the FCTA Satellite Town Development Department, Karshi, where our reporter was directed, but all efforts to get the officials to speak proved abortive.

The Director of infrastructure and engineering, said he was not in a position to speak and further referred our correspondent to the acting coordinator.

The coordinator said he required a directive from the Permanent Secretary  before he could talk on the issue. Later he said, “The important thing is we cannot begin to deal directly with you, you have to go to the minister’s office who will give you all the details including the mobilisation.”

The Gwagwalada Market Road is filled with huge portholes and the rains have further worsened the situation and made the road unpassable, making it difficult to access the market.

However, road users and traders have to endure the pain until the FCTA is ready to finance the construction.