ABUJA — Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike on Wednesday issued a stinging rebuke to the contractor handling the new Judges’ Quarters and Court of Appeal complex in Daki Biyu, Jabi, warning that the project is now unlikely to meet its already-extended December 2025 completion target.
During an unscheduled site inspection, Wike declared that work on the critical judicial housing estate had fallen “far behind schedule,” despite earlier assurances from the contractor.
“Initially they promised September. They wrote to us for an extension to December. But from what I have seen today, I don’t think this project will be ready even in January,” a visibly frustrated Wike told journalists at the site. “That is completely unacceptable for a project of this national importance.”
While acknowledging visible progress on structural elements, the minister singled out the slow pace of finishing works — tiling, plumbing, electrical fittings and landscaping — as the primary cause of the delay.
The multi-billion-naira complex, one of several legacy judicial infrastructure projects under the Tinubu administration, is designed to provide secure, modern accommodation for Appeal Court justices and senior judges posted to Abuja, ending decades of reliance on rented or substandard housing.
Wike linked the initiative directly to broader efforts to restore public confidence in the judiciary.
“You cannot talk about judicial independence and public trust without investing in infrastructure and welfare,” he stressed. “When judges live and work in dignified conditions, it gives them the moral authority and peace of mind to dispense justice without fear or favour. That is the foundation of any functioning democracy.”
The minister’s blunt assessment comes amid intensified oversight of all flagship FCT projects, with Wike vowing that contractors who fail to deliver on revised timelines will face sanctions.
Sources at the FCDA confirmed that a formal performance review meeting with the contractor has been scheduled for next week, with possible penalties or termination clauses now under active consideration.
The Judges’ Quarters project remains a centrepiece of the administration’s promise to reposition Abuja as a truly modern capital while strengthening key democratic institutions through targeted infrastructure investment.
