By Deji Elumoye
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved contracts worth N1.59 trillion for the procurement of 16 patrol boats and 427 operational vehicles for the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), extension of the University of Ibadan (UI) Library as well as the construction of an office complex for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Ilupeju, Lagos.
The Council, at its 47th weekly virtual meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, approved the contracts.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, gave the breakdown of the contracts awarded while speaking with newsmen after the FEC meeting.
Ahmed disclosed that all the four memos presented by her ministry for the purchase of operational vehicles and speed boats for the NIS as well as the construction of an office complex for the FIRS were approved by FEC.
She gave the breakdown of the approved contracts to include the construction of N539.2 billion FIRS building in Ilupeju, Lagos with the completion period of 52 weeks; the design, construction and supply of two NC36M Customs patrol boats at a cost of N5.06 billion with a delivery period of 12 months.
Other FEC approvals for her ministry, she said, included the design, construction and supply of seven Customs fast assault patrol boats and seven regular patrol boats, at a total cost of N501.47 billion with a delivery period of eight weeks and the procurement of 427 patrol vehicles for the NIS at a cost of N14.5 billion with a delivery period of four months.
According to the minister, “The purpose of the purchase of the two types of petrol boats is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations of the Nigerian Customs Service in its bid to control smuggling and also ensure enhanced efficiency in all customs duty operations in the Marine Unit of the Nigerian Customs Service.”
On his part, the Minister of State for Education stressed that FEC approved the award of N532.6 million contract for the construction and furnishing of the extension of the library of UI with a completion period of 48 weeks.
Justifying the need for the extension of the UI library, Nwajiuba attributed it to the increase in the students population using the library.
He said: “For many years, the library of the University of Ibadan had needed real extension, given the surge of the student population.
“The extension project will comprise two suspended floors, two online reading areas, three cubicles, one physically challenged reading area, four seminar rooms, one reprographic unit, six staff offices, one control room, general rooms, stores, four e-libraries, a coffee room, a media unit room, one galaxy exhibition room and a journal publication unit, in addition to two reading areas.”
