The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday approved a total sum of N35.613 billion for roads and bridge projects in the country.
The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He was with the Minister of Information and culture, Lai Mohammed.
According to Fashola, N8.9 billion was approved for construction of Ikom bridge and roads in Calabar, Cross River State.
The roads and 330 meter bridge, which will be completed in 24 months, he said, will create access to the port for trucks to move freely with their containers.
“This will help to facilitate further activity in the Calabar port and ease the challenges being faced.” he added
The Minister said that N11.78 billion was approved for the 37 kilometers of section two of Nguru-Gashua-Biamari road project in Yobe State, while N8.6 billion was approved for section one of Ilorin-Igbeti-Kishi road project in Kwara State.
While N5.4 billion was approved for re-award of section one of Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia road project in Abia State.
“The previous contractor was unable to satisfactorily execute the project in terms of capacity and equipment. And therefore we terminated and re-awarded the project to a new contractor.” he stated
He said that N933.7 million was approved for automatic meter reading machine and services for Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).
The Minister said “This is to facilitate remote meter reading of wholesale meters at the custody and trading points. This is different from remote reading of retail meters used by consumers like you and I.
“If this is successful implemented, it will eliminate all of the delays. It will also help in dispute resolutions because data can be then produced quicker online.” he said
On what he is doing to enforce supply of retail electricity meters to Nigerians, he said “The control that the Minister of Power before me, before 2013 had over PHCN and all its assets have been taken by the privatization of the sector.
“But as a people as a government, we are not helpless. Powers that the Minister used to have are now vested in NERC.
“But the Minister has the power to direct NERC to do its job. There are clear statutory and legal limits to what I can do as minister in order not to send a wrong message to investors.” he said
On why the Federal Government is yet to speak on the Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun’s allegedly forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) certificate, Lai Mohammed said, “The government has spoken. NYSC is part of government and I have nothing to add to what the NYSC has said.”
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