FEC Adjourns To Thursday After Marathon Meeting

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File photo of President Muhammadu Buhari presiding over a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
By; SUNDAY ODE  Abuja
The weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC)  meeting has adjourned proceedings till Thursday after about six hours of deliberations that could only sort out half of the memos presented to the body.
Council’s Wednesday meeting mainly awarded contracts for infrastructures including roads and provision of potable water in diverse parts of the country.
Briefing State House correspondents after the adjournment,  Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, said Council approved the completion of Police Service Commission headquarters in Abuja. The project was approved for variation to enable its completion over the next six months.
The initial cost was N3.486 billion and it has been increased to 3.925 billion, it is a variation of N439.113 million.
He said Council also approved Nnamdi Azikiwe Mausoleum in Anambra State. The project was started but not completed from previous administration.
“Council approved the additional funding to complete it from N1.496 billion to N1.953 billion”.
Fashola also said Council approved road projects which include Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria to Kano at the cost of N155.7 billion. Efire-Araromi-Aiyede-Aiyela road to connect Ondo and Ogun State at cost of N14.4 billion.
He said for the Enugu-Onitsha highway the Amansia section, council approved the variations of the cost of N38.74 billion to enable the contractor progress with the work.
“Council also approved the awarded part at the Umunya at the cost of N23.4 billion. So if you add that N38.74 billion which was the cost of the Amansea section you will get a total approved cost of N62.06 billion.”
“This contract was first awarded for N24 billion in 2014 but the scale of work done is, to say the least, appalling,” he said.
Fashola said Council also approved  money for the intervention of education and healthcare. It approved the provision of independent power plant to nine universities and one teaching Hospital as the first phase of the pilot Programme to cover 37 universities at the cost of N38.965 billion to provide dedicated power to the universities which include street lighting,  workshop to train the students post-completion.
The Minister of Water Resources, Suliaman Adamu said, Council ratified augmentation of funds to complete Adada dam Igbo-atiti LGA in Enugu State, with the aim to provide water to the university town of Nsukka. It comprises of a dam, some kilometers of pipeline, water supply to some communities along the route and to water treatment plant.
He said: “The Enugu State government is expected to take the conveyance system from where we stop from the water treatment plant into Nsukka town and provide the necessary distribution, storage and reservoirs.
“It project was started in 2010. This project has been augmented and council approved that the project be completed now at N5.6 billion by the end of 2018.
“Council also approved the augmentation of phase II Galma Dam and irrigation project in Kaduna Zaria. The purpose of the dam is to provide water Zaria and environs to the city of Zaria. The phase I dam has already been completed while phase II involves irrigation and some additional structures. So there was an augmentation to raise the project N16.5 billion in favour of Gilmore Nig. LTD.
“Council also approved the review of construction fee for Uguashi-Ukw dam project in Delta State. The project is almost 100 percent completed but because of the extension of time over the years, we have to ratify the need to pay consultants for staying on site to oversee that project. So council approved the sum of N133.6 million.”
The Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, said Council approved production and distribution of core text books for early education classes 1-3 and for primary 4-6 in public schools nationwide.
According to him, federal government felt there is a need to support in funding education not just the instruction but also the individuals who occupy the institution at the cost of N6.9 billion

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