• Friday, March 29, 2024
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FEC approves N58.488b road project 

FEC approves N58.488b road project 
The Federal Executive Council FEC, Wednesday approved the contract for the construction of Bida-Sachi-Nupeko road and the Nupeko-Patigi bridge across River Niger, linking Nupeko and Patigi in Niger and Kwara State, at the cost of N58.488b
This is as Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola assured Nigerians of massive mobilization of contractors for roads rehabilitation ahead of the Yuletide season
The project, according to the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, is to link Niger and kwara as well as facilitate connectivity from southwest to the north central and the north of Nigeria.
Fashola, while briefing State House Correspondents after the weekly meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said the contract was an old contract that was awarded in 2013, terminated for none performance,  re-evaluated and presented to FEC for approval.
“It didn’t have a bridge then,  so we have added the bridge now, approved for N58.488 billion and is expected to take 30 months.
The weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council FEC had focused  attention on the implementation of the 2019 budget with focus on development of infrastructure, ahead of the Yuletide season
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presided over the meeting following President Muhammmadu Buhari’s current private visit to the United Kingdom.
BusinessDay gathered from sources close to the cabinet office that infrastructure topped the agenda as government make efforts to give speed to the implementation of the 2019 budget which is like,y to terminate by December, as government mulls to kick start the January to December budget cycle from January 2020.
President Buhari had while presenting the 2020 budget in October, hinted of plans to release the sum of N600b for 2019 budget implementation “ within three months “
But speaking on the State of federal roads after the meeting, Fashola pleaded with Nigerians for understanding as his ministry makes efforts to carry out major rehabilitation of road ahead of the Yuletide season.
“ The media needs to help us enlighten Nigerians about the constrains. We had the challenges of the heavy rains which we are just coming out from. But we have put in place measures to fix the failed portion of these roads so that Nigerians can travel freely during the Yuletide season “
According to him, “ we are doing this to tell Nigerians that they should have hope in their country. “
Why noting that “ not all Nigeria roads are bad” , he called for patience as contractors will be moving to site massively soon as the dry season sets in