• Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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FG approves 16 boats, 427 vehicles for Customs to fight smuggling

Osinbajo

Federal Executive Council FEC, on Wednesday, approved sundry contracts for the Nigeria Customs Service to enhance its anti-smuggling activities.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed disclosed this while briefing journalists after a virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

The council, acting on a memo presented by the minister approved contracts for the design, construction and supply of seven fast assault patrol boats and seven regular patrol boats, in favour of Messrs Siwa West Africa Limited, in the sum of N501,472,471.08 inclusive of 7.5 percent value-added tax (VAT) with a delivery period of eight weeks, for the Nigerian Customs Service.

According to the minister, the petrol boats will “enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations of the Customs in its bid to control smuggling and also ensure enhanced efficiency in all operations in the Marine Unit of the Customs”

The ministry also presented, on behalf of the Nigerian Customs Service, a memo seeking for council’s approval for the design, construction and supply of two NC36M patrol boats, in favour of Messrs of Boat Plus Limited, in the sum of N5,062,530,400, inclusive of 7.5 percent VAT with a delivery period of 12 months and council approved our request.

Ahmed also disclosed that FEC also approved the procurement of 427 operational vehicles for the Nigerian Customs Service operations in favour of various contractors in the combined sum of N14.55 billion, inclusive of 7.5 percent VAT with a delivery period of four weeks

The contract was awarded to several contractors, including Elizade Motors, Wada Motors, Westwood Motors, Global Motors, providing different categories of vehicles that are meant for field operations of the Customs Service.

The minister also presented a memo on behalf of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), to get council’s approval for the award of contract for the construction of Federal Inland Revenue Service building at Ilupeju Medium and Small Paxpayers’ office in favour of Messrs Lavoro International Limited.

The contract which is in the sum of N539,277,673.75, inclusive of 7.5 percent VAT, has a completion period of 52 weeks.

Also, minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, presented a memo for the award of contract for the construction and furnishing of the extension of the library of the University of Ibadan. The memo, which was approved, is at the cost of N532 million with a completion period of 48 weeks.

He disclosed that University of Ibadan needed to modernise the library because “for many years, the library had needed real extension, given the surge in student population”

The extension project will comprise of two suspended floors, two online reading areas, three cubicles, one physically challenged reading area, four seminar rooms, one reprographic unit, six staff offices, one control room, general rooms, stores, four e-libraries, a coffee room, a media unit room, one galaxies exhibition room and a journal publication unit, in addition to two reading areas.