FEC approves $1.96b Kano-Niger Rep rail line, N12b for Arochukwu-Ohafia road

 

Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) Wednesday approved $1.96 billion, inclusive of 7.5% value added tax (VAT), for the construction of 248-kilometre rail line from Kano to Maradi, Niger Republic.

Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, announced the approval to State House Correspondents after the week’s virtual FEC meeting, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The contract was said to have been initiated in February 2018 and designed to connect three Nigerian states in the north; Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states, as well as seven senatorial districts.

The rail line will start from Kano and pass through Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina, Jibia and terminate in Maradi, Niger Republic.

According to the minister, when completed, the rail line would assist in the supply of crude oil from Niger Republic to a refinery being built in the border town between both countries.

Also, the FEC approved the sum of N12.088 billion for the section two of the Ohafia-Arochukwu road in Abia State.

READ: Amaechi says talks ongoing for construction of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri rail line

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said that the 45-kilometre stretch would complete the road, which first section, measuring 19.27 kilometre, had been awarded earlier.

“The memorandum presented by the Ministry of Works and Housing today is for the Section two of the Ohafia to Arochukwu road. This section comprises Umuahia/Bende/Ohafia road in Abia State and it was approved for construction at N12.088 billion comprising a distance of 45 kilometres, to complement Section One which was previously awarded in 2018, that is the section from Bende/Arochukwu to Ohafia which was 19.27 kilometres.

“So, with this award now, the entire length of the road is now under contract with the same contractor and we hope for expeditious execution,” he said.

Also addressing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the FEC had also approved the acquisition of additional field forensic auditors at the cost of N745.2 million for the audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

It would be recalled that the FEC, a couple of weeks ago, approved the engagement of field forensic auditors for the various states under the NDDC, however, the latest approval has brought the number of auditing firms to 16.

“The memo that was presented by the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs was a concluding memo on the procurement of Field Forensic Auditors for the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission and today the council approved additional forensic field auditors at a total sum of about N745.2 million.

READ: Serving Senator opposed to NDDC probe got 300 contracts from Commission

“This brings the total number of field forensic auditors to 16 in addition to the earlier approved Lead Forensic Auditors, Messrs Olumilua Bashir and Co. These people are now going to be in charge of the nine states of the Niger Delta which have been divided into 16 lots.

“As I stated earlier, lot one is Ernst and Young for the headquarters. They will be undertaking the 19 years of audit and also bring out the organogram for restructuring of the NDDC for better performance in future.

“Council also considered and approved the need to attach investigative security agencies, the relevant ones to each of the team to ensure transparency and also to be sure that whatever comes out is acceptable to not just in Nigeria but to the international community, he explained.

On his part, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola said, “We considered in exco the award of contract for the procurement of 52 number operational Green Maria vehicle to facilitate effective operation in the Correctional Service as well as ease of movement of awaiting trial inmate from the Custodial centres, 247 of them in all, to about 5,022 courts in Nigeria.

“This is to complement what we have already acquired between 2016 and 2019, of about 451 Operational Green Maria vehicles. The objective is to ensure that the delay associated with trial of inmate is reduced if not eliminated,” he said.