FG Approves N528M For Police Vehicles

PHOTO: L-R: MINISTER OF AVIATION, MRS. FIDELIA NJEZE; MINISTER OF STATE, INTERIOR, MR. HUMPHREY ABAH AND THE MINISTER OF THE FCT, ABUJA, SENATOR BALA ABDULKADIR MOHAMMED AT THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING INSIDE THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, STATE HOUSE, ABUJA TODAY, JULY 21, 2010.

ABUJA, July 21, (THEWILL) - The Federal Government today approved N581.805 million naira for the purchase of 90 units of Peugeot 407 Executive Extra for the Nigeria Police Force. This was one of the decisions taken at the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, even as approval was given for another N4.097 billion naira for the construction of Karshi-Ara road by the Federal Capital Territory administration.

Both approvals were as a result of memos presented by the Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Adamu Waziri and his FCT counterpart, Senator Bala Muhammed.

Speaking to newsmen at the end of the meeting, Minister of Information and

Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili said the purchase of the Peugeot cars for the police was an expression of government’s readiness to reposition the police for effective service delivery.

Messrs Peugeot Automobile Nigeria [PAN] who got the contract would be paid from the N79.20 billion earmarked for the reform of the police force in the 2010 budget and the contract has a 14-day completion period.

"The commitment of the present administration to reposition the Nigeria Police Force in order for it to perform its constitutional duties and the need to fast track the implementation of the Reform Programme of the Nigeria Police Force cannot be over emphasized," she said.

Also approved by government is the construction of the Karshi-Ara road in the FCT. The contract was awarded to Messrs Mangrovetech [Nig] Ltd and it would gulp N4. 097 billion, with a completion period of a year and eight months.

Explaining the reason for the contract, the Minister said the road linking FCT and Nasarawa State was not economically strategic but was also helpful in the decongestion of the FCT, noting that the provision of minimal infrastructure had already attracted huge population of FCT residents to the area.

According to the minister "The Karshi-Ara Road is one of the major roads linking Nasarawa State to the South Eastern part of the FCT. Ara is an agricultural town in

Nasarawa State.

"The Construction of Karshi-Ara Road will enhance transportation of much needed agricultural produce to into the FCT and also ease the transportation of workers in the FCT who reside in Karshi and the neighbouring towns of Nasarawa State", he said.

"Provision of engineering infrastructure to Karshi Town is already ongoing and attracting many settlers thereby contributing to the decongestion of the FCT.

"There is a provision of N2 billion naira in the 2010 statutory budget of the FCT to commence the construction of the Karshi-Ara Road.

"After considering the economic benefits of the project, Council approved the award of contract for the construction of Karshi-Ara Road in the FCT, Abuja, in favour of Messrs Mangrovetech (Nig) Ltd., in the sum of N4.097bn," Akunyili said.