New Telegraph

FEC approves $27.7m, N5.18bn for sub-stations in Benue, Kano

…okays N500m for completion of 18.7km Delta road

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the sum $27.7 million and N5.18 billion as local content for the construction of three sub-stations in Benue and Kano states. The Council also okayed the sum of N500 million for the completion of 18.7 kilometers Bulu-Oriagbene road in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State. Briefing newsmen after the Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa yesterday, Minister of Power, Mamman Sale, disclosed that the three substations to be built are to be located in Zaki-Biam in Benue State, Bichi and Kanyi in Kano State. On the amount for the construction of three substations, the one in Zaki- Biam is $8.6 million while the local content is N2.08 billion.

The second one in Bichi is $9.6 million plus N1.7 billion local content. The one in Kanyi, Kano State is $9.5 million plus N1.7 billion. He added that the Council also approved the extension of transmission lines in Umuahia, Abia State and Mbano, Imo State at the cost of $506,324.40, plus N34,034,000 as local content. Asked why the ministry was embarking on new projects, the minister said: “There has not been any problem so far. But we just have to expand the national grid for sustainable supply of electricity and also to improve capacity.

That is all.” On his part, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said: “You see, before now, there’ve been complaints that more power is being produced compared to what is being wheeled out. “So, what he’s been doing recently is to improve the capacity of the TCN to transmit more power. So, all these contracts you heard of are about improving the capacity of the TCN so that when electricity is produced, it will get to our homes.” The Minister of Niger Delta, God’swill Akpabio, in his comments, said the Council approved N500 million as variation for the completion of the 18.7 kilometers Bulu-Oriagbene road in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State. According to him, the project had already attained 97 per cent completion and the variation was to complete it.

He disclosed that the road was initially awarded for N8.5 billion and the N500 million variation brought its total cost to N9 billion. Akpabio said: “The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs presented two memos today at the Council and both were approved. One was just augmentation or a variation of the contract for the construction of Bulu-Oriagbene road in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State.

“The road is about 18.7 kilometres and the initial contract price was about N8.5 billion and with the variation price today, the contract price is now about N9 billion and the Federal Executive Council today approved that variation.” The minister said the contractors have been given six months to complete the project. Akpabio said Council also approved the floating of a digital platform where projects executed by his ministry can be monitored at all times. He also announced that the ministry has so far completed 50 projects that are now awaiting inauguration, which was delayed by the outbreak of the COVID- 19 pandemic.

Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, on his part, said Council, in continuation of the efforts of the Federal Government to revitalize and repurpose the education sector, passed a resolution granting the request of the University of Ibadan to acquire a new microscope. “The cost at the moment is only N190,552,000. N190 million will be made available by the Federal Government and University of Ibadan will be adding N552,000 as their own counterpart fund from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Within 16 weeks (four months), we will have this equipment in the country.”

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