- N719m for Abuja rail infrastructure security
The Federal Executive Council yesterday approved N43.65bn for construction of roads in Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe and Yobe States.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadia Umar-Farouk, said she presented memos for the projects on behalf of the North East Development Commission.
How schools hike WAEC, NECO fees, deny poor students opportunities
Defection: Shekarau’s camp continues deliberations today
Awarded were the reconstruction of Ngom-Koshebe Road and Ngom-Zabarmari-Gongulong-Kajari Road in Borno State, totaling 22.5km for N13, 553, 902, 668.95; construction of 32km Zabuna-Garkida Road between Garkida and the fringes of Sambisa Forest in Adamawa State, N6,202,214,413.29; construction of 53km Gombe-Abba-Dukurfi Road in Gombe and Bauchi States, N11,697,355,449.61 and the 54km Mutayi-Ngalda Road in Yobe State, N12,199,182,845.70.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the council approved N11,166,270,197.85 for reconstruction of the Mushin-NNPC-Ejigbo-Apapa-Oshodi Road to be completed in 20 months by Strabic Construction Company.
He also said the FEC approved the refund of various sums of money spent on repairs of federal roads in three states: N18.663bn for Yobe; N6.706bn for Kebbi and N2.470bn for Taraba.
Fashola said this was part of the debts inherited from the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said over N820bn refunds had in the past been paid to 29 states for their interventions on federal roads before Buhari came into power.
He said a rough estimate showed that the federal government had refunded almost N1trn to states as part of the public debt.
He said the council also approved that the road under construction, especially the portion between Bali and Seti by Taraba State for which the reimbursement was being made should not be terminated.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, said the council approved N718,193,250 for the security and surveillance of the 45km Abuja light rail tracks and stations.