Thursday, March 28, 2024

NNPCL gets FG’s nod to invest N1.9trn in 44 federal roads

  • FEC approves N1.4bn for Ogoni remediation project vehicles

The Federal Executive Council has approved the recommendation for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited to invest N1.9 trillion in the reconstruction of 44 federal roads under the tax credit policy.

The council gave the approval at its meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, briefed State House correspondents on behalf of the Minister of Works and Housing.

“The Federal Executive Council approved the recommendation to invest in the reconstruction of selected federal roads under the Federal Government Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Policy phase 2 by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) limited and its subsidiaries.

“So, the council approved the proposal by the Ministry of Works and Housing for the reconstruction of 44 proposed federal roads with a total length of 4,554 kilometers in the total sum of N1.9 trillion.”

Akande said the council also approved the concession of nine federal roads.

He said that the roads were spread across the country.

“In another memo, the Minister for Works and Housing also got approval of the council for concessionaires for nine road corridors under the pilot phase of the value-added section of the Highways Development and Management Initiative following the issuance of the requisite full business case compliance certificate by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission for a period of 25 years for each road corridor as follows:

“The roads that will be under this first phase are the Benin-Asaba corridor, Abuja-Lokoja-Onitsha-Owerri-Aba, Sagamu-Benin, Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Makurdi, Kano-Maiduguri, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta and Lagos-Badagry-Seme.”

More so, Akande said that the Minister for Works and Housing got the council’s approval for augmentation of a contract for rehabilitation of the Osogbo-Ilesha road phase 1 in Osun State in the sum of N1.2 billion.

“The approval thereby revises the subsisting contract sum from N3 billion to N4 billion representing an increase of 33 per cent of the original sum,” he said.

The Federal Executive Council has approved the sum of N1.4 billion for the procurement of vehicles for the hydro-carbon pollution remediation project in Ogoniland, Rivers State.

Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents, after the FEC meeting.

Abdullahi said that the vehicles were required for effective supervision of the projects at polluted sites.

“Today, on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, I presented a memo to the council requesting for approval to procure some project vehicles for the hydro-carbon pollution remediation project.

“You recall that late last year in December, the council approved some projects to do with power for Ogoni people and remediation of some polluted sites.

“It was approved in view of this desire to ensure effective supervision of this project, particularly in the five water schemes.

“And the upcoming 16 water schemes and the proposed shoreline remediation and also the proposed Centre of Excellence to be built within Ogoniland and in view of the fact we are going to inspect on regular basis experts from outside the country, there is a need to provide project vehicles so that they can effectively inspect, supervise and monitor the remediation exercise.

“So, FEC today approves the sum of N1.4 billion only in favour of Messrs. Mujaf Automobile Nigeria Ltd to provide 31 vehicles for the project.”

According to the minister, the vehicles include one 18-seater Toyota Hiace Bus, one 30-seater Toyota Coaster Bus– all supposed to be 2022 models.

He also listed 11 Toyota Hilux Double Cabin Four-wheel Drive–2022 model, diesel engine, 15 Toyota, double cabin four wheel drive, petrol engine–2022 model, one Toyota Land Cruiser Twin Turbo– 2022 model and two units of Toyota Land Cruiser V6 Prado.

“So, all in all about 31 vehicles were approved for the hydrocarbon pollution remediation project to ensure effective supervision of the project, particularly the remediation project, essentially, this is what we presented and it was approved by FEC,” he said. (NAN)

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