- FEC approves $995m loan for phase II of Abuja-Makurdi road
- FG: Negotiations for Leah Sharibu’s release continue
Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
The presidency said wednesday in Abuja that it was yet to receive the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) passed recently by the National Assembly.
Making this disclosure in a terse statement, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, said the bill was still undergoing some legislative processes in the National Assembly.
“Further to several enquiries by the media, interest groups and the public in respect of the within named Bill, may l please state that the said Bill has not yet been transmitted by the National Assembly to the president.
“From my enquiries, the bill is still undergoing standard operating legislative processes of the National Assembly preparatory to transmission, please,†he said.
Also yesterday the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing the nod to access $995 million loan from China’s Exim Bank for the construction of phase two of Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga – Lafia-Makurdi Road.
Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the 268.5 kilometre-project consists of 16.0 kilometres-Lafia bye-pass and another 251.7 kilometres from Ninth mile through Otukpo to Makurdi.
Fashola who said the second phase of the project for which finance is not yet available for its execution, added that its contract award was a precondition for access of the loan in China Exim Bank.
Also briefing, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, who said FEC also approved Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority project for the construction of a bridge which he described as a constituency project in Karu, Nasarawa State at the cost of N719million, disclosed that FEC also approved another memorandum for the construction of irrigation scheme at Kwaranga at the cost of N1.36billion.
In his own briefing, the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the council also approved €21million for the purchase of two tug boats for towing purposes on Nigerian waters. He also said FEC approved his second memorandum for the dredging of water in Baro at N703million.
In the same vein, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the council gave the Minister of Niger Delta, Usani Uguru, the marching order to speed up negotiations for the take-off of Oron-Calabar section of the East -West Road.
Mohammed also said the federal government had not abandoned Leah Sharibu who is being held by Boko Haram insurgents because of her refusal to renounce her Christian faith. According to him, negotiations are daily ongoing for her release.
“I think the President actually also addressed this issue in Washington. My question is always the same that we are yet to resolve the issue of six girls. One hundred and eleven girls were kidnapped; 105 were returned and we are busy on a daily basis negotiating and asking what happened. Negotiation with insurgents is quite tortuous.
“The young girl, Leah, we can assure you, that we are not leaving her to her fate. Anybody who negotiates with terrorists all over the world knows that It is not direct negotiations that we are doing,†he said.
Also yesterday, Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura, presented the Minister of Mines and Steel, Kayode Fayemi, to President Muhammadu Buhari as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State.
Fayemi also informed the council that he would formally resign his ministerial position next week to face the task of campaigning towards the forthcoming July 14 election in Ekiti State.
