Prior to the population and housing census, which is scheduled to take place from May 3 to 5, the Federal Government approved two contracts worth N15.3 billion on Wednesday for the supply and installation of information and communication technology components and digital assistance devices.
Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, made this information public to State House Correspondents on Wednesday, shortly after the Federal Executive Council meeting this week at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“The awarding of the contract for the supply and installation of information and communication technology components for the 2023 population census was among those memos that were okayed today,” Shehu said.
“The estimated cost of the ICT component contract was N10.9 billion.
“Another contract that was authorized for the National Population Commission was one for the creation and application of a mobile device management solution for the staff’s digital assistance devices to be utilized for the 2023 census of the population. This amounts to about N4.4 billion.
The council approved a contract for the development of external costs of infrastructure at the new Economic and Financial Crimes Commission training academy for the amount of N3.3 billion, the presidential spokesman also disclosed.
A contract for the purchase of 19 vehicles for the Nigerian Ports Authority was also approved for N1 billion.
This followed the approval of N65m for variation in the cost of a contract for the supply of airport fire crash tenders in the Ministry of Aviation.
Shehu also disclosed that the FG had approved new rules to safeguard people with HIV/AIDS from discrimination at work.
Babatunde Fashola, the minister of works and housing, reported that three memoranda were approved by the council, including one for the digitisation of processes and workflow, which was approved for N916.8 with a 12-month implementation period.
According to him, the approval would ensure that all paper records, including files and memoranda, were converted to digital format.
Fashola also disclosed that a contract for the construction of the Kaduna Eastern Bypass received an additional N36 billion from the Council as a variation.
First awarded in 2002 under the Obasanjo administration, the road connects Kaduna with about 11 other states.
“The contract has been long going, awarded since 2002, largely unfunded. We resuscitated it to life through our Sukuk Project; it’s 48 kilometres, over 20 kilometres has been completed, but the rates at which the contract was awarded have become obsolete because of inflation and so, the contractor sought and council has considered and approved an augmentation to increase the contract size from N38bn to N74.65bn.
So that’s an augmentation of N36.46bn.”
Fashola also said the council approved the construction of four roads in Kwara State, under the Tax Credit System okayed by Buhari through Executive Order Seven in January 2019.
They include Bode Sa’adu-Kaiama-Kosubu Road, 130km, awarded at N152.84bn. Lafiagi-Shonga-Bacita Road, 74.30km, awarded at N80.22bn. Eiyenkorin-Afon-OjokuOffa Road, 42.64km, awarded at N56.33bn; and Okuta-Kenu-Tebe Road, 38km, awarded N37.89bn.
The total length of the four roads is 283.94km to be funded by BUA International Limited at the sum of N327.28bn
Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, said the Nigerian Customs Service received approval to construction several flats at its new barracks site, Aviation Village, Abuja, at N17bn.
“Today the Federal Executive Council gave approval for the construction of 32 block of eight flats that consists of two-bedroom flats and also 15 blocks of six flats consisting of three-bedroom flats for the Nigerian Customs Service at the Aviation village phase two in Abuja.
“MSSRS AMSCO Limited is constructing the flats at the Aviation village here in Abuja. The contract is in the sum of N5.55bn with a delivery period of 81 weeks.
The second part of it is the construction of 32 blocks of six two-bedroom flats with religious center at the customs service barracks also at aviation village. And this was given to MSSRS WARAMS limited in the sum of N12.84bn naira with a delivery period of 144 weeks,” she explained.
N16.13bn was also approved for the purchase of 210 units of residential accommodation at plot 413 Aviation Village, Abuja for the customs service in favour of MESSRS Abdulwahab Memorial Nigeria limited, she revealed.
Ahmed also revealed that the Council approved the procurement of 192 motor vehicles for the operations and administrative use of the Nigerian Customs Service.
They include Toyotas Prado, Corolla, Camry, Land Cruiser and ambulances worth N9.65bn, including 7.5 per cent VAT with a delivery period of four weeks.
Cc: Punch
