Jonathan Nwokpor
All events at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja have been suspended by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
After inspecting the centre in Abuja on Monday, Wike made the announcement.
He said the suspension was necessary to allow Julius Berger to complete the centre’s comprehensive rehabilitation.
The Minister reportedly terminated the centre’s management contract with Messrs Integrated Facility Management Services LtdMinisterdevelopment was revealed on April 4 by Anthony Ogunleye, Director of Press, Office of the Minister, who also mentioned that Julius Berger had been hired to renovate the centre immediately.
After seeing it as a simple conference center, the Minister referred to the building, saying, “There is nothing international about the centre.”
“When we came here for the ECOWAS inauguration sometime last week, with President Bola Tinubu, no right-thinking human being would see the state of this facility and be happy.
“In fact, during the inauguration, Tinubu drew my attention to the rot. Even the lighting system was so poor.
“This is unacceptable. There is no way we can accept this as an International Conference Centre.
“You cannot call it a conference centre but not international because there is no standard compared to any international conference centre.
He continued that the centre’s poor condition would no longer cause the FCT Administration to feel humiliated.
“So, we are sorry to announce this: every booking made here is canceled.
“We will start immediate rehabilitation of the centre to meet up with international standards,” the Minister said
Julius Berger, he added, had been allocated eight months to finish the centre’s comprehensive renovation.
He claims the intention is to turn the space into an appropriate international conference center that Nigerians can be proud of.
Because the company had constructed the building, Julius Berger, he claimed, had been asked back to restore the centre.
“We believed that in the next seven to eight months, the company would do something that Nigerians and the international community would appreciate,” he said.
On the management of the centre, Wike stated that Amb. Maureen Tamuno, Managing Director of Abuja Investment Company (AIC), knows what to do once the rehabilitation is completed.
“If she does not do it well, well, we will have no choice but to wade the big stick; but I believe she has the capacity to run it well,” the Minister said
To move forward, complete the task, and provide the nation with an appropriate international conference centre, he added, he would not question anyone about what caused the centre to deteriorate.
According to NAN, on April 4, Tamuno—a seasoned businesswoman, diplomat, and public servant—was named the new head of AIC.
She served as the High Commissioner of Nigeria to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Belize, and Jamaica.
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