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….Approves N107bn for Ogoni hydrocarbon remediation
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja has about N327.34 billion worth of contracts for award.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said under Aviation ministry, council approved N3.4 billion as consultancy fee for the construction of a 2nd runway at the Nnnamdi Azikiwe International airport, Abuja.
He said council also approved N449.9 million for the engagement of consultants for the development of masterplan for 17 airports in Nigeria.
The airports include Murtala Mohammed (Lagos), Nnamdi Azikiwe (Abuja), Mallam Aminu Kano (Kano), Port Harcourt, Owerri, Benin, Enugu, Maiduguri, Yola, Kaduna, Calabar, Ilorin, Sokoto, Ibadan, Jos, Akure and Katsina.
Other approvals include the over N100 billion for the Ogoni community of Rivers State.
Shehu said: “Two major contracts were approved for Ogoni. They include contract for a water project that has been awarded under the 2nd phase in Ogoni land, amounting to N22.8 billion.
“Approval was also given for the award of contract for the remediation of newly identified hydrocarbon impacted sites along the shoreline of Ogoni land and this is for about N107 billion.”
The presidential spokesman also said council approved N90 billion for the completion of various roads totalling over N125 billion just as N10.3 billion was approved for the construction of the construction of a multi-story office complex of the Federal Inland Revenue Service in Lagos.
Over N33 billion was approved for the completion of some major roads in Borno, Adamawa, Kogi, Delta, Ondo, Ogun and Benue States.
Shehu noted that council also approved the establishment of the National Institute for Domestic Security at Irogbo-Ilesa, Osun State, which hada budgetary provision of N285 million in 2022 and N360 million in 2023 budget.
Council also approved three memoranda submitted by the Ministry of Transportation
According to Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, the first was in respect of the provision of security equipment for the Nigerian railway stations across the country phase two while the second one was
for security equipment include baggage scanners walkthrough metal detectors, X-ray male scanners, liquid explosive detectors, narcotics cam trace bomb detectors, among others. It was awarded to Messrs Advonix Services Nigeria limited in the sum of N4.3bn naira with a completion period of 12 months.
He added: “The second memorandum is also from the Nigerian Railway Corporation to provide a secure e-ticketing solution for the Lagos-Ibadan corridor and the Warri-Itakpe corridor under a design, finance, build, operate, maintain and transfer public-private partnership arrangement for the Nigerian railway cooperation.
“The Lagos Ibadan corridor was approved in favour of Messrs Global software digital solutions limited/Datamatics Global Services Limited for a concession period of 10 years at a sharing ratio of 81.5% to NRC and 18.5% to the concessionaire.
“The Warri-Itakpe corridor under the same partnership arrangement was approved for Messrs Fein international consult limited/Artificial Intelligence Technologies Limited for a conssession period of 10 years and the same sharing ratio.
“The third memorandum is in respect of our requests by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to buy two buildings in Port Harcourt and Abuja to serve as a zonal office, as well as an Abuja Liaison Office respectively.
“That was granted by a council while for port harcourt houses the zonal headquarters of the agency to cover all the littoral states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers State because the Eastern zone actually has many ports, terminals and jetties under the purview of the agency.
“That again, was approved by council details of which are as follows. For the Port Harcourt building, it was purchased from Messrs integrated console Company Limited is a three storey building, and the sum of N4,186,533,750 inclusive of seven and a half percent VAT. While that of Abuja is a four storey building at plot number 622 Cadastral Zone CBD
Abuja in favour of Messrs Avalon Intercontinental Nigeria limited in the sum of N4,473,000,236.255 all inclusive of all taxes.
“May I also say that these two expenditures were properly and adequately provided for in the NIMASA’s approved budget. So Council considered them and approved accordingly.”
The Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu, said council also approved memo for the concession for the operation and maintenance of the proposed Gurara II 300MW hydro electric power project.
It will be financed by the China’s EXIM Bank loan along with 15% equity contribution by the contractor and 50% counterpart funding by the federal government.
The 30-year concession is expected to pay back between $800 and 900 million.
