THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) Wednesday approved N199.19 billion for roads construction, aviation, reconstruction of the United Nations building in Abuja and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Roads construction which include the dualisation of the Lokoja-Benin road alone took a lump sum of N176.13 billion, aviation (N13.91 billion), UN building (N5.1 billion) and procurement of air ambulance jet and others (N4 billion).
Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku told journalists at the end of the Council meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo that, "there is need to dualise the outstanding section of the road to bequeath to Nigeria an unbroken chain of dual carriageway connecting the six geopolitical zones of the country. It will further ease traffic flow along the route and minimize the rate and severity of accidents." President Goodluck Jonathan is in Pakistan for the D-8 summit.
Equally approved by FEC Wednesday was the constitution of a National Council on Niger Delta Affairs to serve as advisory body and coordinate policies for all agencies under the Niger Delta ministry and avert duplication of functions or improper implementation of policies.
Before the FEC meeting started, members condoled with President Jonathan and members of his family on the death of his younger brother. A minute silence was observed in his honour.
Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, had brought a memo seeking Council's approval for the dualisation of Lokoja-Benin road phases one of sections 1-4 in Kogi and Edo States and the construction of Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari road section II phase one - Gashua-Bayamari in Yobe State.
Council approved the dualisation of the Lokoja-Benin in four slots. They include the Obajana- Okene in favor of CGC Limited at a total cost of N11,663,957,682.30 with a completion period of 24 months; Okene-Auchi in favor of Mothercat Limited at a cost of N11,086,276,140.36 with a completion period of 42 months; Auchi-Ehor in favour of Dantata & Sawoe at a cost of N11,659,588,909.69 and completion period of 40 months and Ehor-Benin in favour of RCC Nigeria Limited at a cost of N11,679,997,440.71 with a completion period of 11 months.
For the Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari road, the Council approved a total of N6,581,999,666.55 to CCECC Nigeria Limited with a completion period of 18 months. The Council also approved augmentation contract of N3,927,544,605.71 on the Ugep-Ikom-Ogoja-Katsina Ala in Cross River/Benue States with a completion period of 30 months. This brought the total contract sum to N9,136,126,840.71 from an initial figure of N5,208,582,235.00.
The augmentation contract for the Kano-Wudil-Sharin in Kano State is N18,075,405,695.30, bringing the total contract sum from N37,047,307,376.30 to N55,122,713,072. For the Shuarin-Azare with extension to Dutse in Jigawa and Bauchi States, the augmentation is N29,474,005,426.71, bringing the total contract from N35,841,452,834.88 to N65,315,458,261.59. The augmentation for the Azare-Pokistum road contract is N16,081,695,740.22. For the Pokistum-Damaturu road, it is N21,653,173,630.22 and a total of N27,796,962,398.76 for the augmentation contract for Damaturu-Maiduguri road.
Council also approved the following contracts including the construction of the Mararaban-Pantisawa-Yorro road (1,187,795,843.85), Suleija-Bakin Iku Abuja road (N1,185,114,615.37), Falali bridge (N1,160,359,929.00) and Kundila roundabout both in Kano State (N2,499,924,850.50). The Council also rewarded contract for the completion of the Utor bridge with approaches along Asaba -Ebun-Ahia-Uromi in Delta and Edo states at a cost of N4.4billion, from its original contract sum of N2.9billion.
The Council also approved the procurement of one brand new Air Ambulance Cessna Citation Sovereign Jet Aircraft (fully equipped and customized with emergency medical facilities) in the sum of $23,171, 058.28 million, as the foreign currency content and N909,590,181.13million as the local currency content with a delivery period of 32 weeks.
FEC also approved the the supply of seven brand new CAT 320 Hydraulic Excavators in the sum of N554,050million with a delivery period of 15weeks. Also approved for NEMA was brand new Lodico low loader (Flat bed) with tractor head in the sum of N52,080million with a delivery period of 15weeks, N184,785million for NEMA's existing CISCO VIOP infrastructure with a delivery period of 12weeks and N271,694million for the supply and installation of digital Motorola two-way Radios, Repeaters and base stations at NEMA'S headquarters and it's zonal offices with a delivery period of 8weeks.
Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed told journalists that, "following the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja, the federal government made commitment to get the building ready for occupation soonest. It is in view of the above that the minister of Federal Capital Territory Administration brought a memo to seek council's approval for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the United Nations office building in Abuja. After deliberations council approved the rehabilitation and rebuilding in abuja in favor of messers Julius Berger Nig Plc in the sum of N5,153,043,922.40 with a completion period of 16 months."
The Council also approved a total contract sum of N13 billion for the terminal building, control tower and power house for the proposed Yenagoa airport.
This, Maku explained, will complement the plan by the Nigeria Airforce to set up a military facility for strategic security reasons given the vulnerability of the oil resource rich region.
The National Planning ministry secured FEC's approval of a framework for the development of the National Integrated Infrastructure Masterplan (2014 to 2043).
Maku said: "The Council believed that currently, the infrastructure stock of the country is inadequate to support the economic growth targets of the vision 20:2020 and the Transformation Agenda. Idea for the master-plan which covers roads, social services, energy, power, was drawn from examples in China, India, Malaysia, and Singapore."
