The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved contracts worth N26.06 billion to build roads, buy tower equipment in four airports, and acquire a befitting accommodation for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The approval was announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; and the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, while addressing State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
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Fashola said his ministry obtained two approvals for a memorandum for an emergency works as well as complete work on the Gadan Zaima-Zuru-Gamji Road in Kebbi State, at the aggregated cost of N11.74 billion.
“The Ministry of Works and Housing presented a memorandum to Council for the Gadan Zaima-Zuru-Gamji Road in Kebbi State for two approvals. The first was to ratify the emergency works that were undertaken over seven kilometers between 2019 at N1.145billion, and then to approve the award by the same contractor to now complete the balance of 55 kilometers which was approved also at N10.589billion.
“So, just by way of emphasis, we did an emergency 7 kilometers out of 62 kilometers. Because it was emergency we need to come for ratification which was given and we now got approval to award the remaining 55 kilometers so that we can complete the road which was also given,” he said.
Senator Sirika, while speaking, said the aviation ministry obtained an approval for the upgrade and refurbishment of the safe tower equipment in four airports; Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
According to him, the cost for the contract, which he said is in two denomination components, was put at N13,122,230,999.17.
“This is just to increase the efficiency of the airports and reduce the workload in the control tower and to automate what was hitherto analogue systems to digital.The total contract sum is N13.122, 230, 999.17.
“This is in two parts. First component which is a foreign component is twenty eight million, four hundred and eighty nine thousand, five hundred and sixty five (€28,489,565m). The naira component is N3.491,504,488.31. Of course, there will be 7.5% added VAT. It will be for completion period of 12 months.
“This has been approved as part of things that we do in Civil Aviation that passengers don’t see, that is our major work that we do, it is a terminal building or runway which you can see, these are the things that are out there in the bushes which contribute safety and security of our space,” he said.
Also speaking, Malami said his office got an approval for a memorandum seeking to purchase an accommodation for the NDLEA.
According to him, the property had already been located Plot No. 1123-1129 Cadastral Zone 0607 at Aviation Village, Airport Road, Abuja, and at the cost of N1.20 billion.
“The council eventually considered the memo and gave approval for the agency to acquire the property for a consideration of one billion, one hundred and ninety six million naira (N1,196,000,000), inclusive of 7.5 % VAT with a delivery period of four weeks.
“The vendor or the company from which the property meant for NDLEA is to be acquired is Msssrs Chachangi Airlines Nigeria Ltd,” he said.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, directed that all ministries, department and agencies should use Galaxy Backbone for upgrade and digitization of ICT facilities.
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