FEC okays N11.72b for road, health contracts

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday approved N11.72 billion for projects in the Works and Housing, as well as Health ministries.

Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola announced this to State House Correspondents after the week’s virtual FEC meeting in Abuja.

The minister said N8.649 billion was approved l for his ministry as variation for works on the Enugu-Onitsha highway.

“The Ministry of Works Housing presented one memorandum to Council, which was for the revised estimate total cost of our project on the Enugu-Onitsha highway and it was to add N8.649 billion to the section on that contract to Niger Construction, which is a 22-kilometre section of the 100-kilometre road so that we can expedite conclusion of works.

“Variation was to cater for the change of the pavement surface, the binder course and the wearing course to crease thickness and to utilise modified bitumen and also to strengthen the shoulders and some bridge works.

“Council approved the variation of N8.649 billion in favour of Niger Construction,” he said.

Also, Health Minister Dr Osagie Ehanire said Council approved N3,070,892,938 for six contracts of laboratory equipment on behalf of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“The Ministry of Health presented a memo on behalf of NCDC public health laboratory specialist and for Centre for Disease Control.

“It is for six contracts for laboratory equipment at N3,070,892,938 for various equipment and supply to strengthen the work of NCDC in various parts of the country to be more ready for the work they do in diagnostics preparedness, not only for COVID-19 but for any other disease outbreak of public interest in the future,” he said.