FG approves N32BN to Execute Roads, Aviation and Water projects

The Federal Government has approved the total sum of N32 billion for the execution of various projects under the Ministries of Works and Housing, Aviation and Water Resources respectively.

Speaking with NewsMen in Abuja on Wednesday, after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, the concerned ministers affirmed the approval of projects for their ministries which are sited in different parts of the country.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fasola (SAN), said his ministry presented a memorandum, seeking approval for two projects to the FEC.

According to him, the two projects, one in Sokoto state and the other in Jigawa state respectively, would be executed at the cost of about N30 billion, adding that both projects were approved.

“The Ministry of Works and Housing presented one memo for the award of two roads; the first is Balle-Kurdulla to the Niger Republic border road in Sokoto State. It’s in favour of Messers North Sea Limited joint venture with Caeser Engineering at N9.576 billion, to be completed in 24 months. The road is 46 kilometers”

“The second one is for Kanya-Bababura to Niger Republic border phase two, which is in Jigawa State, in favour of Messers Mother at Limited at N19,763.567 million. The road 50 kilometers in length” he said.

“Council considered and approved this memorandum on the justification made that it was critical 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 and 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”, Fasola added.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, said the Council approved the two items on his memo, which were for the refurbishment and equipping of the Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AIB) offices and the construction of the bureau’s training school, both of which are in Abuja.

He added that the projects had been estimated to gulp about N1.2 billion.

“We had one memo today at the Council and it has to do with the refurbishment of the Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AIB) 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”, Sen. Sirika said.

Also speaking to newsmen, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, affirmed the Council approved the only project presented; Kontagora/Auna Dam project in Niger State, at the cost of NN734.5 million.

“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”, he said.

However, Minister of Mines and Steel, Olamilekan Adegbite, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Alli Isa Pantami, stated that they presented to members of Council report cards of their ministries and parastatals for the first 100 days.