Lagos-Ibadan road: FG considers increasing scope of work to N300bn

Members of the Federal Executive Council, on Wednesday, embarked on a marathon meeting that saw them approving contracts totaling about N960bn. The contracts cut across different sectors such as road, aviation, education and transport, among others. 

After many hours, the meeting, which started at 11am, was adjourned at about 5.20pm to reconvene on Thursday in order to conclude deliberations. The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, told State House correspondents at the end of the meeting that the council approved the variation of the contract for the completion of the Police Service Commission headquarters in Abuja in order for the project to be completed in the next six months. 

The project, which had an initial cost of N3.486bn was increased to N3.925bn, with a variation of N439.113m. Fashola stated that the council also approved additional funding for the Nnamdi Azikiwe Mausoleum in Onitsha, Anambra State. 

The project was initiated by the last administration. Fashola said the council approved road projects, which included the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road at the cost of N155.7bn and Efire-Araromi-Aiyede-Aiyela Road to connect Ondo and Ogun states at a cost of N14.4bn. He said for the Enugu-Onitsha highway, the Amansia section, council approved the variations of the cost of N38.74bn to enable the contractor to progress with the work. 

Fashola said council also approved money for the intervention in education and health care. FEC, he disclosed, approved the provision of independent power plants to nine universities and one teaching hospital in the first phase of the pilot programme to cover 37 universities at the cost of N38.965bn. 

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the council approved the production and distribution of core textbooks for early education classes 1-3 and for primary 4-6 in public schools nationwide. He said the government felt there was the need to support the funding of education at the cost of N6.9bn. 

According to the minister, the council also approved two vessels for the Eastern Port at the cost of N1.2bn. The council also approved the award of contract for direct procurement, installation and commissioning of Wide Area of multilateration for the Gulf of Guinea at the cost of N3.9bn. 

There was also an approval for consultancy services for the construction of a new terminal building at Mallam Aminu Kano Airport, Kano. The minister said there was a plan to complete the payment with N621m.


Punch