Construction work on the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Mausoleum in Onitsha, Anambra is now 75 per cent completed and will be delivered in October, the contractor has said.
John Ameh, Project Manager, Bouygues Construction Nigeria Limited, handling the construction gave the assurance in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Onitsha on Monday.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, had during an inspection of the project in May, ordered the contractor to ensure completion of the project before the end of October.
The minister had expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work and threatened to revoke the contract if the contractor failed to deliver.
When NAN visited the site, installations of window glasses, molding of the bronze for Zik’s tomb as well as construction of frontal fence were in progress.
Ameh said: “We are working towards completing the projects in October. When you look at the work holistically, we have done up to about 75 per cent.
“Currently, we have almost finished the window installations in the mausoleum; we have also finished the tiling of the inside and outside of the mausoleum.
“We are installing the windows and doors for the administrative blocks; all materials for these are on site.
“For the mechanical, electrical and plumbing works, we have done about 85 per cent and we have also finished the granite laying and tiling of the administrative block.”
The project manager said work on the grass planting and other landscaping activities were already 70 per cent completed.
He said: “Nigerians and, particularly, those in the Southeast should expect Zik’s Mausoleum to be delivered in October.”
An official of the Federal Ministry of Housing, who pleaded anonymity, said the project was initially awarded to a local contractor in 2012 but was later handed to BNL in 2014.
Ameh said: “The project cost then to BNL was about N1.4 billion; this was to complete the project but due to the non-provision of fund in the budget, BNL was not able to continue.
“The Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari then looked into the project and added things like the frontal fence, gate-house and total landscaping of the mausoleum and administrative building.
“After the review, the Federal Government released almost all the contract sum which stood at about N1.9 billion to BNL to ensure early completion.”
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