The Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday approved about N39.7 billion for road maintenance and erosion/flood and pollution control projects.
This was announced at the end of a virtual council meeting held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Of the amount, N20.925 billion was set aside for road repairs and maintenance, while N17.75 billion was voted for erosion/flood and pollution control accelerated intervention projects and others.
Briefing State House correspondents on the details, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said: “The memorandum we presented today was on behalf of Federal Emergency Road Management Agency (FERMA) which is the parastatal of the Ministry of Works and Housing responsible for maintenance of federal roads.
“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-19 impact.
“As a result of that, FERMA has a total of 191 road repairs, rehabilitation, and intervention projects nationwide. Of those projects, contracts for 92 have been awarded by FERMA at its threshold level and contracts for 89 have been approved by the ministry at the ministerial tenders board threshold level. All the projects are now being issued letters of award and mobilisation.
“There are 10 that are required to come to FEC because of their financial threshold level. Out of those 10 projects, three were presented today and approved. They are Gasamu-Hamshi-Gogoram road in Yobe State the contract of which was awarded for N14.528billion to MotherCat; the link road connecting Uneme-Tusamu-Odoga to Okpekpe in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State to cost N991.851million and the Mamabu Donga Local Government Area road in Taraba South Local Government Area of Taraba State the contract of which was awarded to Wishchina Engineering Limited for N6.397 billion.”
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, while also briefing the newsmen, said: “FEC gave approval for award of contracts for second-quarter 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 percent VAT with various completion/delivery periods. “
“The contracts include the one for gully erosion control along Ndam/Agbor road, Nnobi and Alor towns in Idemili/South Local Government Area, Anambra State at the cost of N.495,878,764 with the completion date of 18 months.
“Another contract is for the flood menace beside Yem Kem House along Oye-Ifaki road, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State awarded to Strabic Construction Ltd at the cost of N792,311,211.11 with a completion period of nine months
“The Somolu/Bariga Local Government Area, Akoka/Ilaje community, Akoka-Lagos flood and erosion control project, Lagos State was awarded to Partibon Services Ltd at the cost of N1.786,146,630.98 with 10 months completion period.”
