SAN FRANCISCO, November 25, (THEWILL) – The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, approved the sum of N39.771 billion for various road maintenance contracts in different parts of the country.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola disclosed this to State House Correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting held at the Council Chambers of Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Fashola said the three contracts approved, from a memorandum he presented on behalf of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), are part of the 191 road repairs it has to undertake in the 2020 Budget.
“The memorandum we presented today was on behalf of FERMA. FERMA is the parastatal of the Ministry of Works and Housing responsible for maintenance of federal roads.
“During the meetings of the Economic Sustainability Committee set up to manage the impact of Covid, one of the responsibilities of FERMA is to execute extensive labour works on road repairs and the budget of 2020 was then amended to deal with Covid impact.
“As a result of that, FERMA then had a total of 191 road repairs, road rehabilitation, road intervention projects nationwide. 92 of those projects have been awarded by FERMA at its threshold level. 89 of them have been approved by the ministry at the ministerial tenders board threshold level.
“So, all of those projects are now being issued letters of award, mobilization, and others. Now, there are 10 that require to come to Federal Executive Council because of their financial threshold level. Out of those 10 projects, three were presented today.
“So, those three presented and approved by council today was for Gasamu-Hamshi-Gogoram road in Yobe State for N14.528billion to MotherCat, the link road connecting Uneme-Tusamu-Odoga to Okpekpe in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State for N991.851million, and Mamabu Donga Local Government Area road in Taraba South Local Government Area of Taraba State to Wishchina Engineering Limited for N6.397 billion.
“These are late third quarter, early fourth quarter interventions to respond to the Covid impact on the economy. This will tell you some of the things the Minister of Finance was saying that Economic Sustainability Plan implementation is what will take us out of recession. So, you see efforts to do that and so many other departments doing different things. This is our responsibility”, he said.
Meanwhile, Fashola has denied having anything to do with the N4.6 billion fraud alleged to have been perpetuated during his time as a the minister of Power, Works and Housing.
Asked to clarify the allegations linking him to the alleged transfer of the money into private accounts, he said: “I have issued a written response to that irresponsible publication. And anybody who cares to know will know that ministers don’t manage accounts and finances of ministries.
“The people who do so are Directors of Finance and Account who are staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation. Ministers don’t sign cheques. We don’t disburse cash. We don’t manage cash.”
In a related development, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said that the Council also approved emergency procurement of first and second quarters 2020 soil erosion/flood and pollution control accelerated intervention projects to the tune of N17.8 billion.
“Approval for award of contracts for emergency procurement of first and second quarters 2020 soil erosion/flood and pollution control accelerated intervention projects in favour of various contractors in the sum of N17.754,717,234.41 inclusive of 7.5% VAT with various completion/delivery period.
“Gully erosion and control along Ndam/Agbor road, Nnobi and Alor towns in Idemili/South LGA, Phase two, Anambra State (to Telesis Limited) N.495,878,764 – 18 months
“Erosion and flood menace beside Yem Kem House along Oye-Ifaki road, Oye LGA (Strabic Construction Ltd.) N792,311,211.11) – nine months
“Somolu/Bariga LGA/ Akoka/Ilaje community, Akoka-Lagos flood and erosion control project, Lagos State (Partibon Services Ltd.) N1.786,146,630.98 – 10 months
“Gully erosion control at Egbo-Ideh community, Ugheli South LGA, Delta State (Harris & Dome Nigeria Ltd.) N1,328,306,924.00 – 24 months.
“Gully erosion control and road improvement works in Darazo LGA, Bauchi State (Powerhill Construction Ltd.) N3,897,577,627.79 – 24 months.
“Gully erosion control at Egbo-Ideh community, Ugheli South LGA, Delta State (Harris & Dome Nigeria Ltd.) N1,328,306,924.00 – 24 months.
“Gully erosion control and road improvement works in Darazo LGA, Bauchi State (Powerhill Construction Ltd.) N3,897,577,627.79 – 24 months.
“Gully erosion control works at Ladanal community, Nasarawa LGA, Kano State (U.Y.K. Nigeria Ltd.) N1,337,681,584.69 – eight month
“Devastating effect of gully erosion in Gboko township, Benue State (Gaffar Worldwide Resources Ltd.) N1.503,970.714.83 – 12 months
“Erosion and flood control works in Wase and Bashar towns, Wase LGA, Plateau State (Global Legend Integrated Concept Ltd.) N1,687,162,328.95 – 14 months.
“Gully erosion control and road improvement works along Plot 1398, off Kainji Crescent and Katampe Extension, FCT, Abuja (IMB Corporate Synergy Ltd.) N555,569,610.76 – six months.
“Soil erosion, River channelisation and slope protection within Maitama District (Phase II, FCT, Abuja (Masarki Nigeria Ltd.) N1,887,495,486.63 – 12 months.
“Supply and installation of 12 nos. on site flameless/smell-less incinerator (50kg/he) for the national blood transfusion centres in some federal medical centres and teaching hospitals (Black Wheel Multi-Links Ltd.) N823.677,900.00 – six months
“Supply and installation of six numbers containerised incinerators (250kg/her) for the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) one in each geo-political zone (STJ Integrated Resources Ltd.) N658,938,450.00 – six months”, he said.
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