FEC Okays N48.8b For Roads, Bridges, Sugar Industry

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved N43,052,394,598 for the completion of roads and bridges across the country.

It also approved N5,756,833,616 for the construction of a new National Sugar Development Council’s headquarters in Abuja.

This followed the Council’s approval of a memorandum by the Ministries of Works and Housing as well as that of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

The Minister of State for Work and Housing, Muazu Sambo, addressed State House correspondents after the FEC meeting, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Sambo said the projects included the realignment of Birnin Kudu boundary road for N10,133,856,100.92.

He said: “The second project approved is the reconstruction of a substandard bridge at Pada Road in Kogi State in the sum of N4,738,135,600 with a completion period of 18 months.

“The third project is the construction of the Kaiyama Kishi Road in Oyo/Kwara states in the sum of N24,072,136,323.40 with a completion period of 36 months.”

The minister said Council also approved the reconstruction of a substandard bridge on the Ihugh-Damkori-Vandeikya-General Hospital junction-Ogoja Road in Benue/Cross River states in the sum of N4,108,266,569, with a completion period of 24 months.

FEC approved a memorandum submitted by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment on behalf of the National Sugar Development Council for the construction of the parastatal’s corporate headquarters in Abuja with a completion period of 24 months.

The minister, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, explained that the job of the National Sugar Development Council “is to catalyse the development of the sugar industry with a view to ensuring that Nigeria attains self-sufficiency in the production of sugar and also with a view to exporting sugar in the nearest future”.

The Council also approved a Bill seeking to expand and improve the operability of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

It adopted a report presented by Nigeria to the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), which seeks to gain the global community’s understanding for the process of recovering and repatriating stolen assets.

Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), who announced this to correspondents, said both actions were taken to further strengthen the country’s anti-corruption campaigns at local and international levels.