THE people of Pegi community of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja were full of joy and hopes when the 14.7 kilometre road connecting the community to other parts of the FCT was awarded by FCT Administration for construction in 2011.
However, nine years later, their joy and hope appeared to have been dashed as the road has not been completed since 2011 that it was first awarded.
The ICIR gathered from available documents that the road was awarded by the FCTA to a construction company, Verallen Nigeria Limited at the cost of N655 million.
From the documents, a total sum of N110m which represents the 15 percent mobilization fee of the contract was released to the company the same year.
However, Verallen Nigeria Limited abandoned the project no sooner than it got to site in 2011.
Aderibigbe Isaac Taiwo, Chairman, Pegi Community Development Association (PECDA), in a letter addressed to Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in March, had noted that the state of the road has become worse, and is now the cause of kidnapping, ritual killings and other social vices by criminal elements within and outside the community.
Taiwo further alleged that Varallen Nigeria Limited who abandoned the project since 2011 has been re-awarded the contract for the construction of the road with the full cooperation of some people from the Legal Department of the FCTA.
He appealed to the FCT minister to terminate the contract with the company and award it to another company with competent track records.
“The community was gladdened when Government of the day remembered us, but it was cut short because of the disturbing information available to us on the ploy of the former contractor Verallen Nigeria Limited, as usual aided by some interest from the department of legal, of Federal Capital Territory.
According to the community leader, the abandonement of the road has inflicted pain on residents.
This includes loss of life and properties due to frequent criminal activities such as kidnap, rape and ritual killings, among others.
The community appealed to the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to intervene without further delay.
They wanted the contract to be re-awarded to a more competent construction company.
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