The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, has warned newly engaged waste evacuation contractors that contract payments will be strictly tied to performance.
Wike issued the warning during an interactive meeting with 54 newly engaged solid waste contractors in Abuja on Friday.
He disclosed that a Task Force would be established immediately to monitor the contractors’ operations, emphasizing that payments would only be made for satisfactory performance.
“Management of waste is a very difficult job. I want to urge you to see it as an assignment for the development of our capital city. Please help us keep the city clean. This is a job you applied for, nobody forced you, and I assure you that your payment is not a problem. Do the job as required and do it very well. There will be no favoritism. Your work will speak for you,” he said.
The minister warned that he would not hesitate to terminate the contract of any company if refuse is found in their allocated zone. He stressed that excuses related to bad equipment would no longer be tolerated.
Wike directed the Director of Procurement to carry out immediate checks to ascertain the capacity of companies allocated more than one operational site.
“Those who are given more than one site must have the capacity to handle them. You cannot apply for two areas if you don’t have the equipment or manpower to deliver. We want every area clean, and no excuses will be accepted,” he said.
The minister also urged residents to provide feedback on the contractors’ performance, assuring that such feedback would determine which contractors deserved to be paid.
Addressing outstanding payments, Wike noted that some areas, particularly parts of Asokoro, were not serviced by contractors for extended periods. He assured affected contractors that payments would be processed strictly on merit.
Earlier, Chief Felix Obuah, Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, said the 54 contractors were selected from over 500 applicants and have been assigned different beats across the FCT.
Speaking on behalf of the contractors, Mr. Ibrahim Babayo thanked Wike for the opportunity and pledged their commitment to ensuring a clean FCT.
