FEC Okays N21.107bn Contracts for Aviation, Education Ministries, Four Agencies

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) rose from its weekly meeting Wednesday with the approval of projects worth N21,107,212,510, in both the Aviation and the Education Ministries, as well as four other federal agencies.

The approval was made known to newsmen by two Ministers after the virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

This week’s Council meeting was the first official assignment of the President after his self-isolation, following his return to Abuja last Friday after an 18-day visit to the United Kingdom.

The post-FEC briefing, moderated by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina was addressed by the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, and the Minister of State for Education, Mr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba. On his part, Sirika said, Council approved four memoranda for his ministry, the total cost of which amounted to N16,697,742,839.

He named the projects to be executed in the contracts to include construction of Wachakal Airport in Yobe State at N6.3 billion; post construction services for the same airport at the cost of N219.8 million; procurement of eight airport rescue and firefighting vehicles at the cost of N9.5 billion; and a contract for the deployment of sniffer dogs to the Lagos and Abuja international airports at the cost of N658.8 million.

His words: “FEC approved four memoranda from civil aviation. One of it is approval for the construction of Wachakal Airport in Yobe State and at the contract sum of N6,284,065,056. Even and in our drive to develop the sector and ensure connectivity within our region and also improve on our security architecture and also attend to the various needs of civilization, we found this airport and many others that are coming across the country useful.

“The second was a post-consultancy services for the construction of the same airport, Wachakal Air stripe, which is very close to Nguru in Yobe State. So, first consultancy services is given to Kafe Engineering at the sum of N219,782,500 only. This will include seven and a half percent VAT.

“The third memorandum that was taken is approval for the supply and maintenance of eight units of airport rescue and firefighting vehicle including spare parts and training. And this was given to Messers Gulf of Africa International Limited. The exclusive representatives of the OEM and the OEMs are Emirate firefighting equipment factory, this is in the sum of N9,535,132,500 even. This also will include seven and a half per cent and delivery period for this procurement is 12 months.

“The last memo that was taken from aviation has to do with approval for the award of contract for the deployment of sniffer dogs canine in airports in Lagos and Abuja. We will be continuing with this procurement and other airports as well. So, the total contract sum for this procurement is N658,762,783.36, which includes seven and a half percent VAT”.

Nwajiuba, in his presentation, said FEC approved a memorandum for the ministry in favour of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State, for the construction of facilities, including hostels, at the cost of N2.7 billion.

“Council for the approval, which we got, to now proceed to award contracts at the Federal University, Effurun, Warri, Delta State, for N2.7 billion to provide hostels, administrative blocks and a new library. That approval went through and the contracts will proceed with the award”, he said.

Adesina, too, disclosed that Council approved contracts worth N1,709,469,671 for four federal agencies namely Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to him, while a total of N187.5 million was approved for procurement of operational vehicles for the FRSC, N537 million was approved for NEITI’s permanent office building for its head office, while a total of N985 million goes for the procurement and installation of dual body scanners for four international airports in the country.

He further gave a breakdown of the contracts saying: “The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) got approval to procure operational vehicles at N187,469,669.25 and that is to reduce carnage on our roads and to meet its goals of reducing accidents by at least 15% and fatalities by 20%.

“For the Ministry of Health, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in particular also got approval to procure some vehicles for its use.NEITI, which is, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative was given approval to acquire a Permanent Office Building for N537,000,000 to be used as its head office. NEITI has been in a rented place.

“There was also an approval for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to procure and install four Body Dual View Scanners Solution with x-ray management software at Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Kano Airports at N985,000,002.40. You know that NDLEA has been doing wonderful things in recent times. Now, it has this approval to install and commission four full body dual view scanners solution with X-ray management software at those four airports; Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Kano.

“For the Ministry of Water Resources, there was approval for the revised estimated total cost for supervision consultancy contract of Ile-Ife Multipurpose Dam Project in Osun State”. PIA Not Perfect, But A Step in the Right Direction, Says Orji