By Emmanuel Kwada
Residents of Taraba State have expressed frustration over the delay in the construction of the Federal Secretariat Complex project in Jalingo. The project, which was approved by the federal government in 2023, was expected to be completed within 18 months.
However, the project has been plagued by delays, with residents attributing the setback to the state government’s revocation of the initial site allocated for the project. The contractor, UYK Nigeria Ltd, had acquired a new parcel of land along the New CBN road, but this site has been rejected by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development due to its failure to meet the minimum requirement of 5 hectares.
The project might be reallocated elsewhere due to the delay
Mr. Tanko Inuwa, a federal government worker, expressed concern that the project might be reallocated elsewhere due to the delay. He also criticized the state government’s handling of the issue, stating that it had instigated controversy over the site allocation.
Other residents, including Mr. Anthony Jimula, a staff member of the federal ministry of Health, and Mrs. Martha Isa, a trader, also expressed frustration over the delay. They noted that the project would have provided much-needed office accommodation for federal government agencies in the state and enhanced economic activities in the town.
The ministry was still in talks with the state government over the issue of land allocation
TPL Rabiu Ahmad, Controller Housing, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Jalingo, confirmed that the ministry was still in talks with the state government over the issue of land allocation. He expressed dismay over the state government’s handling of the issue and noted that the contractor had been mobilized to site and might be frustrated due to the delay.
