Federal Government Approves ₦33.01bn For Roads, rail security, others

The Federal Executive Council has given approval for some major roads, railway services installation, and public procurement to kick start unfailingly next week.

Naija News Understands that the construction will cost the federal government over  N33.01 billion naira.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who led Ministers of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi; Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami and Power, Engr. Mamman Saleh as well as the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, Mamman Ahmadu, disclosed this to State House Correspondents after the weekly virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Mohammed said the FEC approved two road projects located in Lagos State and an inter-state, stretching from Kano to Maiduguri.

According to him, a total of N22,247,332,000 was approved for the reconstruction of the Apapa-Oworonsoki-Ojota road phase section two while augmentation of N8 billion was approved for the initial cost of the Kano-Wudil-Shuarin section of the Kano-Maiduguri Road.

This contract was awarded today for the sum of N22,247,332,000. But you must know that this is one of the projects being awarded under the Infrastructural Tax Credit Scheme. In other words, it is awarded to Dangote and Dangote will construct it and over the years, it will be deducted from the tax payable by the group. It is one of the various means of PPP that this administration has embraced.

“It is not only restricted to Oworonsoki-Apapa road, it is the same system that is being used in Obajana-Kaba road. Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) is also using the same formula for the bridge to link Bonny and Boro in Rivers State.

“Another memo which he presented was for the award of contract for the dualisation of Kano-Maiduguri road. That is Section One. That is the Kano-Wudil-Shuarin section. This is about 560 kilometers contract between Kano and Maiduguri.

“The section awarded today is actually more of approval for an estimated total cost. They found out that at the time of the award of the contract, certain conditions have to be known. He sought a revision and an increment in the sum of N8 billion which will bring the total cost of the contract to N63 billion. It was approved by council today,” he explained.

Amaechi said FEC granted approval for a contract for the installation of security gadgets for seven railway stations at the cost of N1.21 billion.

“We presented a memo for the supply, deployment, installation, testing and commissioning of security equipment for seven railway stations, mainly Idu, Rigasa, Jere, Kubwa, Kaduna, and Kano in favour of Messrs Avonics Services Nigeria Limited, in the sum of ₦1,208,335,464.60, inclusive of 7.5% tax with a completion period of 12 months,” he said.

Ahmadu said the FEC approved a N1.6 billion contract for initiating an e-government procurement system in the country.