President Bola Tinubu has commissioned the official residence of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The project which was re-initiated in 2010 and founded by the ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was abandoned.
The uncompleted building which was overtaken by weeds and reptiles had gulped N7billion, before the present administration budgeted additional N15.5billion for its renovation.
Commissioning the project on Friday, President Bola Tinubu remarked that it’s wasteful to abandon projects after spending heavily, adding it was in the government’s best interest as well as that of the public to ensure that projects are completed.
Represented by the Vice President, Tinubu stated categorically that abandoning projects after spending heavily amounts to a huge waste of the nation’s resources.
His words: “As we commission this state-of-the-art edifice as the official residence of the Vice President, we are fulfilling a longstanding commitment and reaffirming our unwavering dedication to accountability, transparency and efficient utilization of resources for the betterment of our nation.
“I hold a very strong opinion that abandoning projects after substantial expenditure have been incurred is inherently wasteful, and it is in the best interest of the Government and the public to see them through to completion. I therefore, once again, want to express my gratitude to the FCT Administration for taking up the responsibility and feel duty-bound to complete this project to avoid wastage of taxpayers’ money”.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha said, while underscoring the importance of the project, President Tinubu explained that “the provision of a suitable residence for the Vice President is not merely a matter of convenience,” but also “a symbol of respect for the office and the individual who occupies it.
“However, rather than dwell on past shortcomings, you have chosen to seize this opportunity to demonstrate our resolve to confront obstacles head-on and deliver on the promises made to the Nigerian people in line with our Renewed Hope Agenda, which has the completion of inherited projects as one of its cardinal objectives,” he added.
President Tinubu applauded the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, over what he described as “his achievements, commitment, and loyalty”, pointing out that the commissioning of the VP’s official residence was the 9th in the series of projects completed by the FCT Administration under his dynamic and focused leadership.
Earlier in his remarks, the FCT Minister, Wike, commended President Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to completing abandoned projects across the nation, citing the Vice President’s official residence as a testament to the administration’s dedication.
Recounting the project’s tumultuous journey, Wike said, “This project was awarded in 2010, fourteen years ago, and was abandoned in 2015. It was not until January of this year that we had a revised budget for the project. Now, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has come and within a year, he has made this project a reality. This is the hope. “If you don’t stay in a good environment, you cannot put in your best. Environment affects productivity and efficiency. By the time you are inside and see what is provided, I’m sure Mr. Vice President will be encouraged to do more work than where he stays now.”
Wike commended heads of the security agencies, including the National Security Adviser, Director General of the State Security Service (SSS), and the Inspector General of Police, for their involvement in securing the premises, which he said had been overrun by bushes and criminal elements upon his arrival on August 21.
The Minister also praised the construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria, for their dedication and efficiency, stating that “once you put the money on the ground for them; go home and sleep. They don’t need supervision.”
In her remarks, Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, described the commissioning of the Vice President’s official residence as “a testament to what we can achieve when we have the right support and unwavering dedication to deliver on our set goals.”
Mahmoud paid tribute to President Tinubu for his support, just as she expressed the FCT residents’ honour in witnessing the commissioning of the residence.
Also, present at the commissioning were President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin; Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT Area Councils, David Jimkuta; Chairman, House Committee on FCT, Hon. Aliyu Muktar Betara, and Chairman, House Committee on FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters, Hon. Agbedi Fred. Others were Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Bello Goronyo, and Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
