By Muhammad Mamman
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has revoked the long-stalled contract for the 13-kilometre Apo–Karshi Road, originally awarded in 2011 to Kakatar Construction Company Ltd, citing persistent non-performance more than a decade after work began.
Wike, who announced the decision on Thursday during an inspection tour of key road sites — including the Karu–Customs–CBN Road, Gishiri–Katampe Road and the Apo–Wasa Carriageway — said the project had been immediately re-awarded to SCC Nigeria Limited under an emergency arrangement. The new contractor, he noted, has already mobilised to site.
The minister criticised what he described as past politicisation of infrastructure delivery, stressing that the welfare of FCT residents must not be compromised by contractors failing to meet timelines. “Roads are for the people, not for political point-scoring,” he said.
In a further boost to transportation within the capital, Wike confirmed that the long-anticipated Kubwa–Bwari Road contract has now been awarded, with construction already under way. The road is expected to provide a vital alternative route for daily commuters.
During the inspection, Wike also confronted concerns from a shop owner whose building — marked for demolition for obstructing a major water channel — faces removal. He assured her that compensation would be provided but insisted that the structure could not remain, warning that blocked waterways fuel dangerous flooding. Public interest, he emphasised, must outweigh individual sentiment.
The minister said he was encouraged by the warm reception from communities along the project corridors, interpreting it as appreciation for the administration’s pace of development. Governance, he said, “must be about improving the lives of the people”.
Wike added that several of the ongoing road projects are on track for completion and will be commissioned as part of President Bola Tinubu’s third-anniversary celebrations. He also revealed that the FCT Administration will not award any new contracts in 2026, choosing instead to focus on completing all projects initiated in 2025 as the nation enters a political year.
