FEC Okays N64.687b Contracts For Works, FCT Ministries

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved contracts valued at N64,686,536,230 for the Ministry of Works and Housing as well as the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

It also approved the deployment of the Revenue Assurance Solution (RAS) for the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to enable it block revenue leakages and wastages.

FCT Minister Mohammed Bello, his Communication and Digital Economy counterpart, Professor Ali Isa Pantami, and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, announced this yesterday after this week’s virtual council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the Works and Housing Minister, Shehu said: “The Minister of Works and Housing requested for the approval of 15 projects – roads and bridges – all of which were approved. I’ll just give you like two or three of the projects he got approvals for.

“One is for the construction of phase two of the Ikot-Ekpene-Aba to Owerri Dualisation project. This is at the cost of N40,157,000,000. It is due for completion in 30 months.

“Another project, for which he got approval, is the construction of the Offa Bypass Road’s Phase Two in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State. This project is for N4,335,000,000, and is due for completion in 12 months.

“Another is the revised estimated cost of the rehabilitation of Alesi-Ugep Road’s section in Cross River State. The initial cost was N11.221 billion, now valued at N14.74 billion, with an additional completion of six months.

“The 11 other roads are spread across various geopolitical regions of the country,” he said.

Bello said FEC approved a road project that will aid the decongestion of Abuja metropolis, worth N5,454,536,230.67.

He said the road is from Mpape to Galuyi to Shere Road in Bwari Area Council of the FCT to be constructed by Messrs Vipan Global Investment Limited.

“We expect that that road will be completed within 18 months,” he said.

“This road, when done, is going to allow us to move settlements in two phases. The first phase will be to move settlements within Phase Two of the city, which are meant to go there. These are seven communities of Utako, Maje, Mabushi, Jabi Samuel, Jabi Yakubu and Panda and then Zilu,” Bello said.

Speaking on FEC’s approval for RAS, Pantami said: “The first memo presented at the FEC, which is going to be the one to speak on now is for the NCC for the deployment of RAS.

“This project has been ongoing since on June 27, 2016, almost six years now, and the process has been a very long one for the commission. The wisdom behind the deployment of this RAS is to block leakages in the telecommunications industry, particularly as they apply to Annual Operating Levy…”