By Aliyu Dangida
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved moreover N5 billion in contracts for the airports of Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Katsina.
According to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN), the meeting of the Council, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday, also authorized the N79.649 billion dualization of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene route.
Femi Adesina, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, and Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works, announced this while briefing State House media on the Council’s decisions at the weekly cabinet meeting.
“The Minister of Aviation delivered a document for the approval of contract awards at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano, and the Katsina Airport in Katsina State,” Adesina added.
“It is for the sum of N2, 817, 579, 271.99 in Lagos for the expansion of the terminal building at domestic terminal GAT. It was given for N527, 353, 095.12 to the Katsina airport for the extension of the airport’s apron. The development of Lagos cargo apron areas was also awarded at a cost of N1,982, 943, 242.31.
“The sum of N2, 817, 579, 271.99 is for the enlargement of the terminal building at domestic terminal GAT in Lagos. It was awarded at N527, 353, 095.12 for the expansion of the Katsina airport’s apron. N1,982, 943, 242.31 was also allowed for the construction of Lagos cargo apron areas.
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Fashola, for one, announced that the Council had authorized the N79.649 billion dualization of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene route.
The granted contract, according to the ministry, is for a 26-kilometer length of road between Oku Iboku Power Plant and Abak.
“The Ministry of Works and Housing delivered a memorandum for the completion of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road dualization. And this is in regard to a 26-kilometer span between Oku Iboku Power Plant and Abak.
“Council authorized the award of N79.649 billion to Messers Sematech Nigeria Ltd, to be completed over 16 months. As a result, this will help fill in the dualization gaps between Julius Berger’s award and CCECC’s section.
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“Once this is completed, vehicles in that region will have the choice of using the dual carriageway instead of the single road currently in use. This is in acknowledgment of the huge freight that goes through that area from the south-south to the north-central, from Benue through Katsina-Ala to Abia in the south-east. It is a vital commerce corridor for the country.”
Asked to give an update on the 2020 contract award for the same project, Fashola expressed regret that there had been a paucity of funds to implement the project.
“First and foremost, it is critical that we have a common understanding of the area – that is, the Nigerian rain forest, mangrove areas, extremely high water table, and rains for seven to eight months of the year,” he stated. Because of the limited budgetary requisitions, when we awarded the first segment from Odukpani-Itu to Julius Berger in 2016, they were unable to move on site.
“As a result, work in that region stalled, and they didn’t relocate to site until 2018.” The second part, which covered Abak to Ikot Ekpene, was awarded in February of this year. We had to dispatch some Sukuk resources to the region.
“You may recall that I was there visiting with the governor sometime last year; I really went twice, and we focused first on the link road from Alese Ugep area because it was a very terrible one; it used to take three, four days to cover a 70-kilometer road.
“Now we have that under control, resolved, and motorable to Odukpani in the first phase. The journey time there has been cut from days to less than two hours as a result of this. As a result, it is still a work in progress.”