…Fashola: New secretariat will ease accommodation for 2,300 Staff
By Hillary Asemota
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Works and Housing has said the newly built Federal Secretariat in Lafia, Nasarawa State has the potential to accommodate its over 2300 staff from different Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that were previously in rented apartment.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, who spoke at the commissioning of the office complex by President Muhammadu Buhari, expressed gratitude to the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the National Assembly, the former Governor of Nasarawa State, Alh. Tanko Al-Makura and Governor Abdullahi Sule for making the project a reality.
Fashola, said the contractor which awarded to M/Faplins Nigeria Limited in December, 2011 at an original contract sum of N2, 233, 338, 560.63 was revised to N3, 120, 718, 297.93 in August 2020, adding that it was practically completed and taken by the Ministry in September 2020.
The Minister said: “It might interest you know that the contractor is a company called M/S Faplins Nigeria Limited and more interestingly he is a member of the opposing party. So, while your party dislodged the opposition party from government you did not dislodge the contractor from business.
So, he continued and has delivered the facility to Nasarawa people who were very receptive in providing the environment and so what you have here now is a built-up area of 6072 sq metres, contains 402 offices, has 300 car parks and many other facilities including a staff canteen.
“We thank you Mr. President, for the privilege to have been entrusted with this project. You might have seen the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court.
“Upon our recommendation you have approved that this Secretariat be named after him in commemoration of his public service to Nigeria especially in the judiciary and you have also approved that the Conference room be named after a very prominent Nasarawa state indigene.”