Olayiwola Matthew
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has criticised a contractor for increasing the construction cost of the Abuja second runway from ₦90bn to an exorbitant ₦532bn.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Hardcopy programme on Friday, the minister called the price hike “outrageous and unreasonable.”
“As public officers, we must act with reason and integrity. Positions like ours are positions of trust, where people expect you to act with the fear of God,” he said.
Keyamo expressed disbelief at the 700% cost increase, noting that such a sum could build an entirely new airport. He explained that while the original contract was ₦70bn with an additional ₦20bn contingency, the justification for the inflated figure was unconvincing.
“You cannot push a jump from ₦90bn to ₦532bn down my throat. I said no,” he stated.
To ensure fairness, Keyamo reopened the bidding process. “I’ve received letters indicating that the project can now be done at a far lower cost. Why wasn’t this stated initially? We will review it,” he added.