THE Federal Executive Council, FEC on Wednesday approved contracts for construction of two roads from Sokoto and Jigawa States up to Nigeria’s borders with Niger Republic at a total cost of about N30 billion.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja.
According to him, the first contract of N9.5 billion was for the 46 kilometers road from Balle Kurdella in Sokoto State to the border in Niger Republic border.
The second contract is for the 50-kilometer road from Kunya in Jigawa State to the Niger Republic border, and it will be constructed by Mothercat civil engineering firm at a cost of N19.76 billion.
Fashola explained that the contracts were approved as part of strategies to implement the administration’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), to boost trade and economy, especially given the international commercial activities in those areas.
He said, “The Ministry of Works and Housing presented one memorandum for the award of roads. The first is Belle/Kurdulla to Niger Republic border road in Sokoto. It’s in Favour of messres North Sea limited joint venture with Caesar Engineering at N9. 576 million to be completed in 24 months, the Road is 46 kilometers
“The second one is for Kunya… to Niger Republic border phase two which is in Jigawa State at N19. 763.567 billion.
” The length of the roads is 50 kilometers and council considered and approved this memorandum on the justification made that it is critical not only to execute our mandate under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and Ministerial mandate to improve infrastructure but also for the enablement of business across borders particularly now that we have taken an affirmative position of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.
“The market in that area of the country do a lot of trade across borders. So this is a good boost for business as well.”
Also briefing, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said that the council approved the extension of contract services for Kontagora irrigation project in Nigeria State by three years at a cost of N734.5 million.
The project he said was started in 1987 but abandoned until resuscitated recently.
He said, “The Ministry presented one memo to the Council. This memo was seeking an extension to the consultancy services related to Kontagora/Auna Dam and Irrigation Project.
” This is a project that was started in 1987 and abandoned and as part of our efforts to complete ongoing and abandoned projects that we inherited, we revived it in 2017/2018 and since we have revised it and there’s going to be an extension of time, it makes sense for the consultants that have been working to the project to also have an extension of their services.
“Accordingly, Council approved the extension of the services of the consultants by three years in the total sum of N734.5 million. That was our presentation today. Kontagora/Auna is in Niger State.”
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said, “We had one memo today at the Council and it has to do with the refurbishment of the Accident Investigation Bureau’s Office, here in Abuja and the establishment of the training school for accident investigation, also here in Abuja.
” Accident Investigation, of course, they are like the pathologists of Aviation. Their job is to investigate accidents and incidents and review preventing its happening again.
” The contract sum for the construction of the school is N645, 453,627.80. For the refurbishment of the office, it is N591,857,050.39. It was taken and approved.
” The sum is inclusive of the equipment in the laboratory, it has laboratory components and these equipment are from their manufacturers, through the representatives of those manufacturers.
” They will be certified by International Civil Aviation Organization and the NCAA, which is the regulator of the industry in Nigeria.”
The Minister of Mines and Steel, Olamilekan Adegbite, said he presented to FEC a report card of his Ministry and parastatals for the first 100 days.
Besides, the Minister of Communications
and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, also told journalists that he presented the score card of his Ministry to the council.
The presentation of score card has been the practice for Ministries created in the second term of the Buhari presidency.
