Release our counterpart funding for Abuja water project-Chinese contractors tackles FG

About five years now, after the allocation of the $470million Greeter Abuja Water Project in the federal capital territory, the Federal Government of Nigeria is yet to issue the 20 percent counterpart fund for the completing and delivery of the project as initially planned.

Addressing the Senators and reporters at the ‘Jahi’ site on the situation of the project being controlled by China’s Geo-engineering Company, Zhong Xiang, the Project Manager said while China’s Exim Bank had released $150m, the Federal Government was yet to issue any share of the 20 percent counterpart fund.

Zhong Xiang who made the claim on Monday during the oversight tour of the Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory on the numerous projects being completed across the various areas said what was earlier deliberated to be a legacy project is seriously susceptible now as far as the completion and delivery are concerned.

“This development is conceptualised to increase the water supply across the various districts and regions in the Federal Capital Territory but what is actually hindering its total completion is the failure of Nigerian’s Federal Government to meet her own discussed obligation. Zhong Xiang said

“As supervisors of the ongoing project, we plead to the Honourable Minister and all the Senators to please help in enabling the release of the 20 percent counterpart funding.”

Moreover, other regions visited by the Nigerian Senate Committee shows serious project completion.

According to Zhong Xiang, some of the Institutes are Democratic Studies, National Legislative ECOWAS Parliament, National Judicial Institute, ECOWAS Commission, First Ladies Peace Mission, Baze University, Nile University, Teaching Hospital and so on.

Mallam Musa Bello said, “This Institutional Regions cuts across Ring road 3 and the Airport Expressway with required supportive infrastructure.”

Before the Institutional District, the FCT Minister, Mallam Musa Bello had led the committee to a 10 kilometre road with a 400 metres distance bridge being built behind the US Embassy at the Central Business District and Kukwaba District along the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport Road.