FEC Approves N348.59b for Akwanga-Gombe Road

• FEC Approves N348.59b for Akwanga-Gombe Road

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N348.59 billion for the road linking Akwanga though Jos to Gombe.

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola briefed State House correspondents after the FEC meeting.

He was with the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun and Minister of State for Petroleum Ibe Kachikwu.

According to Fashola, the project, which will be completed in 48 months, covers 420.6 kilometres.

He said: “FEC approved N348.594 billion contract for the construction of 420.6 kilometres Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe road. The project scope is the expansion of the current two-lane highway into a dual carriageway.

“What is significant about it is that it completes the integration of the Northcentral with the Southeast and the Northeast.

“Council had previously approved the Abuja-Keffi Road and the Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Road – all in the Northcentral. In May this year, Council had also approved Nineth Mile Enugu to Makurdi road that connects the Southeast to the Northcentral.

“That completes the spine of the major movement of agro produce and other related produce. The construction period is 48 months.”

The FEC also approved N12.104 billion for ecological projects across the country.

Adesina, who said the approval covers 12 projects, listed the states for the projects as including Anambra, Lagos, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Kachikwu said the council approved the installation of technology monitoring schemes and structures under Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) at N17 billion.

According to him, it is for automated fuel system management and censor network.

He said: “The narrative is that we have all struggled with this whole subsidy payment and how much is consumed in Nigeria, volumes of products moved out illegally and the whole impact on FAAC accounts.

“The President has given a very serious mandate that we ought to rein in on this process. The essence of what PEF is doing is that this will enable us track refined petroleum product movement from the point of LC (letter of credit) opening from the vessels that come into Nigeria, up until the point where they are discharged into tanks in Nigeria and from the tanks into trucks in Nigeria. Monitor the trucks till they deliver the products into the storage tanks for the filling stations and they are discharged and sold.

“So, that will produce a 100 per cent holistic monitoring of this production. For the first time, we will be able to tell how much petroleum products we consume in this country. Because, there has been so much going on in terms of the movement of consumption numbers from 30 something million litres a day to 70 million liters to 18 million liters a day during the difficult times.”

According to him, FEC also approved the revision of contract for the construction of NCMB’s headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

He said the project, which was awarded in 2015 at the sum of about N27 billion was on Wednesday revised to N42 billion.

The FEC also approved N8.047 billion for Rapiscan Mobile Cargo Scanner-Eagle M60.

Mrs. Adeosun, who briefed State House correspondents, said: “The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is seeking the approval of the Federal Executive Council to procure 3 Units of Rapiscan Mobile Cargo Scanner-Eagle M60, including 30 months on-site service/support and maintenance, training of120 officers and integration of Rapiscan Eagle M60 Scanners into Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II (NICIS II) from Messrs Air Waves Limited at N8,047,425,000.

“Currently, there are no functional scanners in all the ports for the operations of Nigeria Customs Service as the once previously installed are now unserviceable. The development has negative effect on the operations of the service.

“To solve this challenge, NCS has identified Rapiscan Mobile Cargo Scanner-Eagle M60 as a suitable option and Messrs Air Waves Limited is an accredited representative of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Messrs Rapiscan Systems Limited, USA, with vast operational experience, which is transferred to clients through Technology and Skill Development programmes.”

The contract cost, she said, included three units Rapiscan Mobile Cargo Scanner Eagle M60, on-site services/support and maintenance for next 30 months after installation and commissioning of the scanners.

Mrs. Adeosun said it also included provision of spare parts for 36 months after installation and commissioning, training of 120 NCS officers and integration of Rapiscan Eagle M60 Scanners into Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System II (NICIS II) and future upgrade.

Through another memo, she said the FEC also approved World Bank’s $150 million credit facility in support of polio eradication in the country.