FEC approves N44.5bn road, power, FCT projects

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N44.5 billion for various projects under the ministries of the Works and Housing, and Power as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced this to State House correspondents on Wednesday after the week’s virtual FEC meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Accompanied by some other ministers, Mohammed said the projects are located in various parts of the country, including the FCT.

The FCT Minister Mohammed Bello said FEC approved N31,630,221,349 for water treatment projects and roads within the territory.

“The FEC meeting approved the award of contract for the procurement of field materials (alum and gaseous chlorine) for water treatment by the Federal Capital Territory Water Board to Messrs Gojac Nigeria Limited at N627,600 and Mudpha Nigeria Limited at N200,000. Completion period is 12 months.

“It also approved the request for an upward review of the contract sum for the completion of roads B6, B12 and Circular Road in the Central Area District of Abuja – Revised Estimated Total Coat (RETC) Number 2, awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.

“It reviewed from the old contract sum of N66,831,381,123.49 to additional upward review of N31,629,393,749.87. The new revised contract sum is N98,460,774,862.36,” he said.

Also, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fasola (SAN) said his ministry presented a memorandum on behalf of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for general repairs in different parts of the country.

According to him, the projects will cost N8,180,948,137.50, adding, “This was for general repairs, emergency repairs and maintenance of roads and critical intervention on 10 roads in different parts of Nigeria.

“One is the maintenance of Ikot Ekpene-Itu road in Akwa Ibom State; repair and maintenance of Onitsha-Aguleri-Adani road in Anambra State; the general maintenance of Nasarawa-Toto-Abaji road; reinstatement of failed pavement sections on the Zuba-Abaji road in the FCT.

“Major maintenance repairs on Atan-Agbara in the boundary of Lagos and Ogun states in Badagry area; general maintenance of Okene-Adogo-Ajaokuta-Itobe road in Kogi State; the construction of Aden Bridge between Okada and Ogbogui-Abangbe spur to Benin-Shagamu dual carriageway in Edo State; general maintenance repairs of Potiskum-Fika-Ngalda-Gombe road in Yobe State.

“General maintenance repairs of Benin-Asaba-Onitsha dual carriageway, that is, existing road to the Niger Bridge; general maintenance repairs of the Warri-Benin carriageway in Delta State.  The total sum of these contracts was N8,180,948,137.50 and council approved this memorandum on behalf of FERMA,” he said.

Power Minister Mamman Saleh said the council approved two memoranda for the ministry, adding that the aggregated cost of the projects stood at N4.7 billion.

“Today, the FEC approved two memoranda from the Ministry of Power. One is the revised estimated total cost of the contract for the construction of infrastructure at the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria’s permanent site in Abuja. The total cost is N88.046 million.

“The second approval by the Council is the extension of the contract time for the consultancy service in the project management and supervision of the ongoing construction of Zungeru at the power project in the sum of $3.5 million and N3.4 billion equivalent to N4.7 billion,” he said.