UPDATED: FEC approves contracts worth N9 billion for transport, EFCC

…As health authorities plan house to house search for meningitis victims in Zamfara, Sokoto

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved contracts in the sum of N9.1 billion for projects under the ministry of transportation.

Briefing newsmen after the weekly council meeting which was chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi said the approval came following three memos he presented at the council meeting.

Council approved the lease of fast going vehicles for the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to enable the agency perform it’s responsibility on the high sea. The minister said the “cost for the lease for NIMASA is 3.8 billion naira for the next one year”.

Approval was also given for the procurement of 56 vehicles for the Nigerian Immigration Service at a cost of 358 million naira.

Briefing newsmen alongside the ministers of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Health, Isaac Adewole, Amaechi said the council also approved the variation of the cost for the construction of a headquarters for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) due to the fluctuation of foreign exchange.

“The last was the change in the cost of construction of the EFCC headquarters due to foreign exchange fluctuation. This is 5 billion Naira” he said.

The contract was awarded to Messer Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, JBN, on 27th November 2010 at a total cost of N18,867,783, 615.00, for an initial 36 months completion period.

A total of N7.912bn was budgeted for the project in the 2016 Budget, while N6.129bn has been slated for the same project in the 2017 budget.

Meanwhile, FEC also received a briefing from the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole on the status of the meningitis outbreak. The Minister said a total of 813 deaths was recorded as at 25th of April but it is expected that the number will drop with the commencement of rainfall in the country.

He also disclosed plans to dispatch medical teams to Sokoto and Zamfara States for a house to house search to help with active case findings.

“We want to do house to house searches so that we can bring those with meningitis out for treatment. We are sending teams to each local government. There will a team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and lab scientist and each team will be supported by the state government. The state governments have promised logistics and transport to move them
around and bring the patients to health facilities” he explained.