The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday, approved contracts of N47 billion for road projects in the country, including the redesign and reconstruction of Aba/Port Harcourt section of the Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway.
Briefing State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said that the contract for the Aba-Port Harcourt section was N6.3 billion.
He explained that the section of that expressway needed such attention because it had persistently failed as a result of regular storm waters and high water-level of the area.
The other contracts were for the rehabilitation of Babanlamba-Sharam in Plateau State at a cost of N19.2 billion and the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Road for N22 bllion, bringing the total cost of this particular 81-km road to N56 billion.
He said: “The Ministry of Power Works and Housing presented three memoranda. One was for the Babbam Lamba Sharam Road in Plateau State for the the construction of 44.265 kilometers road for N19.392 billion .
“The second was for the 81 kilometers Lagos/Ota/Abeokuta road which was first awarded in year 2000 and it has since been uncompleted because there were no budgetary positions for it.
“Trying to move the contractors back to site when this administration came necessitated the revision of the rates. So those revised rates were brought to Council today (yesterday) and a revision on N22 billion was approved for the 81-kilometre road bringing the total contract price to N56.701 billion.”
“The third approval was for section four of Enugu Port Harcourt road. The part between Aba particularly and Port Harcourt that has been problematic and has failed severally. We have a contractor there but we needed to change the design because of the storm water drainage needs and the high water table there, so that the road does not fail.”
“So that required a revision of the scope of work from retaining one, new side lanes and also drainage facilities in the sum of N6.309 billions.
Also, FEC on Wednesday gave the approval for the establishment of a new university for the Nigerian Army.
This approval follows the presentation of a memo by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu to the FEC.
The University will be located in Biu, Borno State.
Mr Adamu after the meeting announced the approval to journalists at the State House at the end of the FEC meeting.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai had earlier in March announced that the Nigerian Army will upgrade the Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies to a full-fledged University of Technology and Environmental Studies.
