President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), via the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), to refurbish the abandoned government building owned by the Federal Ministry to house the new Federal Ministry of Livestock.
The Minister of FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, after inspecting the government building and Kugbo International Market.
Wike said: “Well, it is the former Ministry of Agriculture, and we have a directive from Mr. President to go and immediately refurbish the place and furnish it for the new Ministry of Livestock. And that is why we went there to see things for ourselves. We are going to get some companies to come and look at it and quote for it. It is an emergency work because the creation of the Ministry of Livestock is a welcome development, and you can see people are happy, waiting for it to start.
“So now that the place has been identified, the President has ordered the FCT Administration through the FCDA to look at it, and we have seen the integrity test, which is okay, and we have to rehabilitate and furnish it, and then you will see the Ministry of Livestock take over. So that is why we went there today.
“You are always in a rush. First of all, we have told you we are doing emergency work; we are bringing some companies to look at it, and then we will take the best, or, what do we call it, the most responsive builder that we know that the government will afford to handle. But don’t be in a rush; what is important is that we have gone there to see for ourselves, and the job will soon start.”
The Minister, who frowned at the sharing formula between the private investor handling Kugbo International Markets and the administration, said both will meet and discuss a new sharing formula and also ordered Development Control to demolish buildings encroaching on the market.
“Well, it is a PPP arrangement between Abuja Investment Company, which is an agency of the Federal Capital Territory, and a private individual. We have a stake, the land belongs to the FCT, and then the company invests. I hear there is a sharing formula, which is not acceptable to me in the first instance. I have directed the Managing Director to see that they meet with the investor to see how we can have an arrangement that will be suitable to all of us. For now, the way it is is not favourable. It is only favourable to the investor.
“Secondly, this is an investment that should be encouraged, as an international market of this standard. And there are a lot of problems; there is encroachment, and I have directed the Development Control to immediately demolish anything that is going to cause an impediment. This is a road corridor, and we will not allow that, and the Development Control Director is here; he has been ordered to move in with his men to demolish whatever is an obstacle.
“Again, the investor should, as a matter of fact, see that he puts in more funds to see the dualisation of the entire market. I have asked him when he thinks that the whole thing will be ready, and he has said we should give it to him till January. However, the first phase has been completed; we would therefore see what we can do to see that we open the first phase, and some of our traders on the road have to come in here and give us the free traffic that we deserve. We would do everything we could to support people.
“Those who have not indicated interest, we will see how, through the empowerment of the Renewed Hope Agenda in FCT, we can also put in some funds by taking some stuff and giving to our people in order to be involved in one trade or the other. So, we would do everything to see that people move into this market as quickly as possible; that’s the first phase. So we are happy with what we have seen.
“It speaks for itself if, first of all, we have a market that will create a lot of employment for people, and people will carry out economic activities. Again, it will decongest the roads where you see everybody taking the road as a market. Anybody who is coming to the market will say, ‘I am going to Kugbo International Market’, whether it is in terms of manufacturing or other things. So, there are so many advantages, it will boost economic activities, it will boost the development of the government. More importantly, it will create a lot of employment. That is what is key to us—employment and jobs.
“I don’t know about the high costs. Somebody invested his money. And that is not why we should allow traders to be on the road. We have to take into cognisance all of those things; an investor must also make profits. I mean, we are not running a socialist economy. People should know that when you invest your money, you don’t expect that the investor will just come, open it for you, and then you pack in for free; nobody does that and we should not encourage that. And that is not why I will allow people to sell on the road. The issue before is that there is no alternative; there is no market. Now market is being provided, and you’re saying the cost. What is the cost? Anyway, we will not also allow the investor to take advantage of that, and then people cannot afford, no. We will also look into that; we will do the cost and we will find out from the MD and Chief Executive of Abuja Investment Company to sit down with the investor to see what agreement we can reach. And we can put our own stake to see that people get allocations there.”
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