Nnamdi Azikiwe

Bouygues Construction Nigeria Limited (BNL) the firm handling the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Mausoleum, says work is completed on the project.

Mr John Ameh, the Project Manager of the firm made the disclosure in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha on Monday.

NAN reports that the project initiated by Federal Government in honour of the first president of Nigeria came to completion, 22 years after its initial commencement.

Ameh said that the project was ready for handover.

NAN reports that Mr Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, in May told the contractor to ensure completion of the project before the end of Oct.

The minister had expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work and threatened to revoke the contract if the contractor failed to deliver on schedule.

Ameh however said that “It was actually completed towards the end of Sept.

“We met the minister’s deadline of Oct. ending, but because the client has not taken over we cannot just lock up the place and leave for security reasons.

“We wrote on Oct. 11 notifying them to come and take over the project. They are likely to visit this week.”

He described the Mausoleum as a “land mark project’’ for the people of South-East and the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari.

According to him, it is a project that has spanned so many administrations before it was awarded to BNL in 2014 while work started in 2015.

“This administration was courageous enough to take it to competition and should be commended,” he said.

NAN reports that Zik as fondly called was also the first Premier of Eastern Nigeria and founder of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).