The Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday approved
N430bn for 17 road projects across 14 states.
Briefing State House correspondents after the weekly
council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, the Supervising
Minister of Information, Nurudeen Mohammed listed states to benefit from the
projects as Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Nassarawa, Abia,
Niger, Kogi, Cross River, Lagos and Kaduna.
According to him, the projects would be a major push
in consolidating and implementing the National Integrated Infrastructure Master
Plan in the road sector, stressing that it would have salutary effect on the
economic and social life of Nigerians across the affected states.
He noted that the road projects would also generate
employment for Nigerian engineers, technicians, artisans and unskilled labour.
Upon completion, the projects would improve the
socio-economic activities within the affected communities, the minister added.
Speaking further on the projects, Minister of Works,
Mike Onolememen said there are budgetary provisions of N11bn in the ministry’s
2014 appropriation and N10bn from SURE-P for the projects, while the balance
would be provided for in subsequent budgets.
Speaking further, Onolememen explained that the
Bodo-Bonny road in Rivers State with three major bridges across Afa Creek,
Opobo Channel and Nanabie Creek, would ensure that Bonny Island was finally
linked with a road access for the first time.
He said this would open the Treasure Island to more
Nigerians and reduce the high cost of living in one of the hitherto most
expensive industrial towns in Africa.
The minister noted that the new Ikom Bridge would help
to open up the Calabar Port for business to the people of the north-central and
northeastern zones of the country as the old steeltrussed bridge has height
restriction that does not permit haulage vehicles to go through.
He noted that the Agae-Katchia-Baro road in Niger
State would help to link Baro Inland Port to the FCT, thus promoting
inter-modal transportation in Nigeria, as envisioned in the National
Infrastructure Master Plan.
According to him, the novel use of rigid pavement
design, also known as concrete road on this alignment and on the Ikorodu-Sagamu
road, linking the NNPC Depot at Mosimi, would mark a new dawn in road
construction, as the construction materials would be 100 per cent locally
sourced, with improved longevity and reduced life cycle costs.
The road projects would also cover the reconstruction
and dualisation of Aba-Port Harcourt and Enugu- Lokpanta sections of the
Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway and the rehabilitation of Damaturu-Biu road, and
Gombe-Kaltungo section of the Gombe- Numan-Yola road.
Onolememen said that work on the expansion of the
Abuja-Keffi road would soon receive attention as the Minister of Finance within
the next ten days would be leading a delegation to China to finalise the EXIM
bank loan for the project.
He noted that despite the falling global oil price,
the country was not broke and would continue to fund its infrastructural
projects in order to boost the economy.
Also at the briefing, the Minister of the Federal
Capital Territory, FCT, Bala Mohamed disclosed that FEC approved the award of
contracts for the engagement of consultants for post contract supervision of
engineering infrastructure to some satellite towns in Abuja.
According to him, there is provision of N60m in the
2014 Appropriation of the Satellite Towns Development Agency, STDA, for
consultancy services while the balance would be provided in the 2015 and 2016
budgets respectively.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Steve Oru disclosed
at the briefing that FEC approved the variation cost on the contract for the
construction of Gbaregolor-Ogriagbene Road in Delta State in the sum of N1,2bn.
Consequently, the contract sum was increased from the
initial N7.3bn to the revised total cost of N8,5bn in favour of Messrs Setraco
Nigeria Limited with a completion period of six months
He also said that the council approved contract for
the engineering supervision of the construction of East-West, Section V
(Oron-Calabar) Phase 1 in Akwa Ibom/ Cross River states.
Oru explained that there is a budgetary provision of
N1.4bn in the 2014 Appropriation Act with the sum of $500m being expected from
China EXIM bank for the project.
The contract was awarded in favour of Messrs Siraj
(Nigeria) Limited in the sum of N661m with a completion period of 60 months.
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