Federal Govt Okays N392.786bn For Works Ministry, Customs, Others

Federal government has approved contracts presented to it by ministries, parastatals and agencies, worth N392.785 billion. Ministers took turns yesterday to present the contracts and their costs to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja The minister of works and housing, Babatunde Fasola, said his ministry presented three memoranda, which were all approved.

According to him, while the first is aimed at digitising all records of the ministry at the cost of N916,813,356, the other two focus on physical road works, including the N36.459 billion Kaduna Eastern Bypass augmentation works to be executed on Sukuk Programme, and a N327.281 billion tax credit scheme granted BUA International Limited for the construction of some roads in Kwara State. The minister of finance, budget and national planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, said the council approved three contracts for the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), totaling N20,969,400,000. “So, this is a Nigerian Customs Service barracks and the contract was issued to two companies. Messrs AMSCO Limited is constructing 15 blocks of six numbers three-bedroom flats at the Aviation Village here in Abuja. The contract is in the sum of N5.549 billion with a delivery period of 81 weeks.

“The second part of it is the construction of 32 blocks of six tw- bedroom flats with religious center at the customs service barracks at also at the Aviation Village and this was given to Messrs WARAMS Limited in the sum of N12.843 billion naira with a delivery period of 144 weeks. “The Federal Executive Council also approved the procurement of 192 motor vehicles for the operations and administrative use of the Nigerian Customs Service. Different mix of vehicles, totaling 192, all of them Toyota brands. So, there are Toyota Prado, Corolla, Camry, Land Cruiser and ambulances in the total sum of N9.649 billion naira including VAT with a delivery period of four weeks. “The third approval that we got was for the award of contract for the purchase of 210 units of residential accommodation at plot 413 Aviation Village, Abuja, for the Nigerian Customs Service, in favour of Messrs Abdulwahab Memorial Nigeria Limited in the sum of N16.125 billion, including the VAT,” she said.

During his briefing, the minister of mines and steel development, Olamilekan Adegbite, said the council granted approval for a new bill to generate a replacement for Nigeria Mineral and Mining Law 2007, which he said is obsolete. “What we did at the council today was just to approve a new bill to go to the National Assembly to replace the old law guiding mining in Nigeria. The law we are operating on now is 2007 Nigeria Mineral and Mining Law and 2007 to date is 16 years. “It has become obsolete. A lot of new things have come up in mining. There’s a renewed focus and everyone is coming there and as expressed today, it’s a new frontier for economic growth in Nigeria. So we need to update the law to in line modern realities and the laws with some amendments. The bill, the proposed Act, was passed in the chamber with some amendments,” he said