FEC approves for road reconstruction N79.649bn, airport improvement N6.386bn
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Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola, Minister of Works & Housing
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved contracts totalled N89.6 billion for projects in the Ministry of Works and Housing, as well as that of Aviation.
The was disclosed to State House Correspondents after the week’s virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Speaking about the approvals, the Federal Minister of Works and Housing, Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola, said, “the Ministry of Works and Housing presented the memorandum for the completion of the dualization of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road. And this is in relation to the section from Oku Iboku Power Plant to Abak of about 26-kilometre stretch. “Council approved the award to Messers Sematech Nigeria Ltd for N79.649 billion to be executed over 16 months.
The Minister said the project “will help complete the dualization gaps between the one awarded to Julius Berger and the section awarded to CCECC. When this is done, motorists in that area will now have an option of the dual carriageway instead of the existing single carriageway.
Raji Fashola further explained the rationale, “this is in recognition of the heavy cargo that passes through that area from the south-south through to the north-central, Benue through Katsina-Ala through to the south-east to Abia. It’s a very important trade link for the country.”
Asked to give an update on the N54 billion contract awarded in 2020 for the same project, Fashola regretted that there had been a paucity of funds to implement the project.
He blamed the collapse of a section of the Lokoja-Kabba road on natural causes, stating “as we go through the rainy season, this is the context in which to locate the Lokoja-Kabba. It’s a failure caused by nature and aging. And, again, an opportunity to share with you what we have. We expect that these things will happen, but we don’t know where it will happen every time.
The Minister called for the setting up of a contingency maintenance fund, which he said should have a sizable amount to enable the ministry to promptly respond to such failures and similar others.
FEC APPROVES N6.386bn FOR AVIATION MINISTRY TO IMPROVE 4 TERMINALS
In consonance with the avowed resolve by the Aviation Ministry to give a shot in the arm to aviation infrastructure nationwide, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika, has again waded through the eye of the needle to secure at today’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, the sum of N6,386,996,442.29K for the awards of contracts to improve some of the decaying and dilapidated infrastructures at the airports.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who addressed the Press Corps on behalf of the Aviation Minister, at the Aso Villa after the FEC meeting, enunciated that the Ministry of Aviation brought a memo for the approval of the award of contracts for the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja; Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano; and Katsina Airport in Katsina.
Mr President’s spokesperson who offered a tacit explanation said the sum of N2,817,579,271.99K, approved by FEC was for the expansion of the MMIA terminal 1, the General Aviation Terminal, GAT, in Ikeja, Lagos.
Femi Adesina said further that the second item on the approval gotten was for the expansion of the Apron in Katsina Airport and the sum of N527,353,693.12K, was approved for the contract.
Another item on the approval mentioned by Adesina was for the expansion of Cargo Apron at the MMIA in Lagos. He explained that “there was also the expansion of Lagos Cargo Apron Area awarded at N1,982,943,242.81k.
Other beneficiaries according to Adesina were the domestic wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and the Aminu Kano International Airport.
The President’s Media and Publicity Adviser said the sum of N795,976,947.94K, was approved as a contract sum for the expansion of the Abuja Domestic Apron Area
He also revealed that for the expansion of MAKIA, Kano Apron Area, the sum of N1,059,120,234.37K, was approved as the contract sum to bring it up to global standard.
SUCCINCTLY put, the following four terminals got approval for the following projects:
EXPANSION OF GAT BUILDING LAGOS N2,817,579,271.99K
EXPANSION OF KATSINA AIRPORT APRON N527,353,693.12K
EXPANSION OF MMIA CARGO APRON N1,982,943,242.81K
EXPANSION OF MAKIA, KANO, APRON N1,059,120,234.37K
GRAND TOTAL N6,386,996,442.29
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