FG votes N79.6bn for road, power projects

THE Federal Executive Council has approved major contracts, worth N79.6bn, mainly in the transport and power sectors.

The approved contracts were announced by the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili; and the Minister of State for Information and Communications, Mr. Labaran Maku, at the end of the FEC meeting on Wednesday. The meeting, which lasted for about five hours, was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, with most of the ministers in attendance. The Council also approved other projects aimed at the reform of the financial management system, and the upgrade of the surveillance equipment of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

Akunyili explained that the road projects in the Niger Delta region, which amounted to N53.8bn, “constitute a major component of the post-amnesty intervention projects of the Federal Government to improve the road network in the Niger Delta region.” The contracts, which were presented to the FEC through a memo from the Ministry of Niger Delta, include the construction of the 35-kilometre Okputuite-Mbato Junction-Orie Market-Lomara (Igwebuike) Road in Abia State, awarded to Messrs Enerco (Nigeria) Limited, at N9.008bn, with a completion period of 30 months.

Others are contracts for the construction of the Ogragbene-Torugbene, and Orhoro-Odorubu-Kpakiama-Bomadi roads, both in Delta State; Omelema-Agada 2 Road in Rivers State; re-construction of Benin-Abraka road in Edo State, and rehabilitation of Okpuala-Igwurunta Road in Imo/Rivers states, valued at a total sum of N44.891bn. The contracts have completion periods ranging from six to 24 months. Other projects approved by the FEC on Wednesday include the construction of transportation infrastructure in the Federal Capital Territory , in the sum of N10.2bn.

The project includes a contract for the construction of the Outer Northern Expressway – Bwari Road in the FCT, which was awarded in favour of Messrs Parsons Science Engineering Company Limited, in the sum of N2.017bn, with a completion period of 24 months.

Punch Newspapers