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hehehehe....The
Federal Government is committed to the infrastructural development of
Nigeria as it continues to pump billions of naira into road
construction.
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, approved N80 billion
for the construction of roads in 12 states of the federation.
It also approved N150.84 million for the consultancy and
engineering design for access roads 1 and 2 to link Asaba in Delta
State, Onitsha in Anambra State and the Second Niger Bridge.
In the same vein, the council gave its nod to the construction of a
5km road to link Ring Road III to Wasa Junction with Karshi-Ara-Apo
Road in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, at the cost of N2.454
billion.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola,
alongside Minister of FCT, Bello Mohammed and Minister of Information,
Lai Mohammed, made the disclosures while briefing State House
correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by President
Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to Fashola, the 12 states include Adamawa, Taraba,
Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Plateau, Osun, Kwara, Kano, Oyo, Enugu and
Kaduna.
He said: “The second is approval for 12 roads in various states. The roads are at the cost of N80 billion.
“The approval is also for the engineering and consultancy
design for access roads 1 and 2 to link Asaba in Delta State and Onitsha
in Anambra State to link the Second Niger Bridge project.
“Subsequent to the award of further works on the Second Niger
Bridge, we have started work now by this approval on the design of the
link road that will connect the two states to the bridge.
“The design is expected to be completed in six months and we
will start procurement and as the bridge advances we can then connect
the two states. The contract sum is N150.840 million.”
The minister, who noted that the Council gave approval for various power projects, said: “There was also approval for power projects.
It relates to the extension of the consultancy and project
management contract. It is an existing contract for the Katsina Wind
Energy Farm project. It was awarded in 2010 and should have been
completed in 2013.
“The expatriate who was implementing it was kidnapped and when
he was eventually rescued, he never came back and that delayed the
project.
“But we have revived the project.
A new contracting team is back on site. The contract of the
consultants representing us has expired and so we are extending his
contract to cover new period of completion. “The last contract on power approved is the power sector recovery programme which we presented to council.
It is a programme that comprises many policy actions,
operational and financial interventions that need to be carried out by
government to improve transparency, service delivery, performance of
DISCOS, transmission companies, the entire value chain in order to
create more viable power sector that is private sector driven.
“Some of the highlights of the programme are how to simplify
and reduce the cash deficits that have accumulated as a result of
previous unilateral reductions of tariff by the last administration
during the running of the elections, how to make the DISCOS viable,
accountable, responsive to customers, ensure stability of the grid and
expansion of the grid and transparency and communication within the
sector.’’
On his own part, the Minister of FCT, Bello Mohammed, stated that
three key infrastructure projects were also approved by the council.
The projects include the Abuja Mass Transit Lot 1B (26.77km) which
is from Ring Road I; the construction of remaining part of Lot 1A
(5.76km); rolling stocks and workshop equipment for maintenance of
trains. The $1.79bn projects awarded to China Civil Engineering
Construction Company, CCECC, would be funded by NEXIM Bank.
Other projects for the FCT are Jahi District Infrastructure, which
cost was put at N19.473bn and a 5km road to link Ring Road III to Wasa
Junction with Karshi-Ara-Apo Road estimated to cost N2.454bn.’’
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