Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) wednesday in Abuja approved about N77 billion for the construction of various road and education projects in different parts of the country.
Of the total cost, about N67 billion was approved for the construction of road projects and bridges while about N10 billion was approved for the development of education contracts.
Briefing State House reporters at the end of almost seven and half hours of the weekly FEC meeting, the Minister of State for Works and Housing, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, said the council approved N50.527 billion for the dualisation of Odukpani – Itu -IKot Ekpene Road; N6.875 billion for the construction of Iseyin – Okeho road and two bridges; N1.534 billion for the construction of the opening on the expansion joint of Ajaokuta bridge in Kogi State and N6.916 billion for the construction of a 29-kilometre- Karin Lamido – Jalingo Raid in Taraba State.
The minister said: “FEC approves the award of a contract for the construction of Jalingo-Kwana-Lao-Padang-Lamido Road Phase II, which is about 29 kilometres in Taraba State at the cost N6,916,180,860,32 inclusive of VAT. This is the phase II of the project, the phase I was completed earlier.
“Council also approved a second memo with three projects at the total cost of N58,938,111,892.28. The first project is the dualisation of the outstanding portion of Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states at the cost of N50,527,447,708.82 with a completion period of 36 months.
“The second project is the rehabilitation of a bridge in Ajaokuta. The bridge which showed an opening at the expansion joint raised public concerns. Work has commenced but the contract was approved today at the cost of N1,534,677,588.25.
“The expansion joint of a bridge is meant to be maintained from time to time.
The third project is the rehabilitation of the outstanding section of Iseyin-Okeho Road including two bridges in Oyo State at the cost of N6,875,987,097.21 with a completion period of 18 months.”
In his own briefing, the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, said the council approved a total of N10 billion for the implementation of different education projects which he said included N6.437 billion for the purchase of text books for primary 1-3 students throughout the country, N1.398 billion for the construction of 23.7 kilometre perimeter fencing as well as N1.88 billion for the installation of security equipment around the fence at the University of Maiduguri.
Also briefing, the Minister of State for Niger Delta, Mrs. Ramatu Tijani Aliyu said the council approved a memorandum presented for the construction of 5,000 housing units in Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to her, 30 hectares of land have been earmarked in each of the six area councils in FCT for the project.
“We have 30 hectares of land in each area council, multiplied by six. That will give you about 180 hectares of land,” she said.
In the same vein, the Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the council approved a memorandum he presented for the completion of about 9,000 uncompleted projects in the Niger Delta region.
He also said FEC approved the construction of nine housing estates and one skill acquisition centre in each of the nine states which make up the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
