The Federal Executive Council has approved a roadmap aimed at strengthening the anti-graft crusade in the country.
The approval was given at Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council Meeting presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
“The anti corruption strategy that has now been approved by the Federal Executive Council is intended to strengthen the enforcement and sanctions,” Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who briefed State House Correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, said.
Malami said the roadmap, which was developed by ministries and other stakeholders, would guide the “enhancement and sanctions, processes associated with anti-corruption.”
The attorney-general said that government has recorded achievements in the fight against corruption with such policies as the Bank Verification Number, BVN, Treasury Single Account, TSA, whistle blowing, recovery of looted funds and campaign for ethical orientation.
He said the roadmap approved by the Federal Executive Council was to consolidate on the achievements recorded so far through enforcement and sanctions.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, said the council also approved memos for contracts to develop infrastructure in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
According to him, the first contract awarded on Wednesday was for the final engineering design for the Ring Road Number 4 in Abuja, which would commence from the Kubwa Expressway and terminate at the Apo Mechanic Village.
He said the contract would cost N242million while the completion period is six months.
“The whole idea of that road is to open all the developments in Phase 2 of the city and to be able to complement the existing development by private sector companies, especially those in the mass housing sector,” Bello said.
Others were contracts for the final engineering design for Kado District of the Abuja city; final engineering design for the interceptor sewage lines to link to the Abuja Central Sewage system; and the final engineering design for the Water Treatment Plant and the connecting pipeline network to the remaining tanks for the Abuja Water Master Plan.
He said the four projects were “aimed at opening up newer district of the city, providing modern infrastructure to be able to cater for the needs of the current population as well as expanding population in the future.”
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who was also at the briefing, said the executive has a mechanism for settling issues with the National Assembly.
Mohammed stated this in reaction to a question asked by a correspondent on the threat by the Senate not to confirm any nominee sent to it by the executive.
“The fact of the matter is that we have a very excellent mechanism for resolving whatever issues is between us and the National Assembly,” he stated, adding that government is not one arm but comprises the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
