…Says the government cannot interfere in high cost of rent
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike has said that the Zeberced company Quarry ,the biggest quarry in West Africa sited in Kubwa, Abuja has helped in bringing down the cost of construction in the Territory.
Wike stated this on Saturday during a tour round the Zeberced Company Quarry site at Kubwa, Abuja.
He said, “It’s a factory in the FCT and the Managing Director Ayden Adil Kurt has always invited me to come and see the factory, which is the biggest quarry in West Africa.”
“I have not been here before, but I have taken the opportunity to look at the environment and see what they are doing. It shows that, ordinarily, the cost of construction ought not to be expensive.”
Wike then wondered why contractors are still crying over the cost of aggregate, that is produced here.
However, the Minister hailed Zeberced Construction Company for setting up such a quarry for the production of local raw materials in the FCT to feed the construction sector in the capital city.
The minister noted that despite the importation of equipment that is used in the quarry, the raw materials are available here in the environment.
” I wonder why contractors should be talking about the cost of aggregate as if these was imported, but they are made here.”
The minister appreciated Zeberced company for contributing to the low cost of aggregates for the construction sector in the FCT, and for creating jobs for over 800 persons who are working directly in the quarry.
‘I really want to encourage the company. It’s really amazing that we have this type of manufacturing going on here, the minister said.
Meanwhile, the minister wondered why people are complaining about rent increase, adding that there are increases in everything today, so rent should not be singled out.
“You want us to make a law and say that a 2-bed room flat should not be more than ₦50,000 or ₦100,000 for example. I don’t think you are encouraging investors”, he stressed.
