By Taiye Odewale
Abuja
Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Dino Melaye declared yesterday that the N250 million contract for construction of gate house at the official residence of the vice president was unacceptable to the committee and must be drastically reviewed downward.
Dino, who stated this while briefing the media on the contract and that of the official residence of presiding officers of both the Senate and House of Representatives, however, debunked media report that Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon Yakubu Dogara had collected N630million from the federal capital territory Administration (FCTA) as rent for their accommodation as presiding officers.
According to him, though the contract was awarded in 2014 before this present administration came on board, the contract was still being carried out like that which he said” is unacceptable and must be kicked against by the senate.
He also condemned the N200million contract awarded for construction of a Mosque at the official residence of National Assembly presiding officers.
“As I speak to you, the mosque that is occupying less than 100 square meters that is meant to be the prayer place for the senate president and deputy senate president’s residence, was awarded for over N200million and it’s a three bedroom boys quarters less structure.
“More worrisome was the N250million contract for building of gate house at the official residence of the vice president. We are going to call for a review of that contract awarded to Julius Berger in 2014.
“Julius Berger said they are going to build a concrete building. I went there with a hammer and I hit the gate house only to discover otherwise.
“Investigation is ongoing. We want to make sure that government is not being raped and shortchanged. So we are definitely going to call for a review of the contract because this is a rape of the taxpayers’ money”.
