Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has slammed the contractor handling the construction of the Court of Appeal complex  and Judges quarter at Jabi and Daki Biyu districts of Abuja for  the slow pace of work.

Wike decried the pace when he inspected the sites yesterday, noting that though substantial work had been done, the finishing phase was dragging beyond acceptable timelines.

He also expressed reservation that the contractor might not meet the revised December completion deadline.

“Initially, the contractors agreed to complete this project by September, but they wrote to request an extension to December due to some setbacks, however, from what I have seen here today, I do not believe this project will be completed by December. It may even be difficult in January. That is not what we expected at all,” Wike said.

The minister said the overall pace remained below the standard required for a project of importance to Nigeria’s justice system.

 He stressed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to enhancing the judiciary through improved welfare and infrastructure, saying the judiciary cannot discharge its duties if there is no investment in infrastructure and judicial welfare.

 “If you don’t have confidence in the judiciary, you cannot be sure of the future of our democracy. What we are doing here is creating the right environment for them to put in their best and maintain public trust in their work,” he said.

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