Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari has approved contracts worth N26.06 billion for the Ministries of Works and Housing, Aviation and Justice.
Briefing at the end of the 14th virtual meeting, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola said the council gave two approvals for an emergency works as well as complete work on the Gadan Zaima-Zuru-Gamji Road in Kebbi State, at the aggregated cost of N11.74 billion.
“The Ministry of Works and Housing presented a memorandum to Council for the Gadan Zaima-Zuru-Gamji Road in Kebbi State for two approvals. The first was to ratify the emergency works that were undertaken over seven kilometers between 2019 at N1.145billion, and then to approve the award by the same contractor to now complete the balance of 55 kilometers which was approved also at N10.589billion.
“So, just by way of emphasis, we did an emergency 7 kilometers out of 62 kilometers. Because it was emergency we need to come for ratification which was given and we now got approval to award the remaining 55 kilometers so that we can complete the road which was also given”, he said.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, council approved contract for the upgrade and refurbishment of the safe tower equipment in four airports; Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt.
According to him, the cost for the contract, which he said is in two denomination components, was put at N13,122,230,999.17.
“This is just to increase the efficiency of the airports and reduce the workload in the control tower and to automate what was hitherto analogue systems to digital.The total contract sum is N13.122, 230, 999.17.
“This is in two parts. First component which is a foreign component is twenty eight million, four hundred and eighty nine thousand, five hundred and sixty five (€28,489,565m). The naira component is N3.491,504,488.31. Of course, there will be 7.5% added VAT. It will be for completion period of 12 months.
“This has been approved as part of things that we do in Civil Aviation that passengers don’t see, that is our major work that we do, it is a terminal building or runway which you can see, these are the things that are out there in the bushes which contribute safety and security of our space”, he said.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami, said council gave approval for a contract seeking to purchase an accommodation for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to him, the property had already been located Plot No. 1123-1129 Cadastral Zone 0607 at Aviation Village, Airport Road, Abuja, and at the cost of N1.20 billion.
“The council eventually considered the memo and gave approval for the agency to acquire the property for a consideration of one billion, one hundred and ninety six million naira (N1,196,000,000), inclusive of 7.5 % VAT with a delivery period of four weeks.
The vendor or the company from which the property meant for NDLEA is to be acquired is Msssrs Chachangi Airlines Nigeria Ltd”, he said.
Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said directed that all ministries, department and agencies should use Galaxy Backbone for upgrade and digitization of ICT facilities.
Giving details of the memo he presented, the minister said: “What the memo speaks about is the need to upgrade and be more alive to digital transformation in our activities. We have seen how COVID-19 -19 pandemic brought about the need to be conducting activities virtually and today we have attended the 14 virtual executive council meeting and this is unprecedented. We have been pushed by necessities to virtual activities.
“It is because of these that Galaxy backbone limited has deployed ICT infrastructure in federal public institutions like State House here where we have 1,500 land points that is local area network (LAN) points, federal secretariat phase one 2,750 land points, federal secretariat phase 2 , 4,896 and SGF office 1,176 local areas and network and Mabushi where minister of works and Housing reside, they have about 800 local area network points. Most of the facilities being used were deployed 10, 11 and 12 years ago. The most recent facilities in most of the places was the ones deployed eight years ago and the validity of these facilities is usually five years maximum.
“Now we have some that are up to 11, 12 years, There is a need for these facilities to be upgraded because, we are going virtual almost everyday and only Almighty God knows when this COVID-19 pandemic will leave us. However, we are optimistic and prayerful as well, it is because of these Mr. President has directed that we should conduct an audit assessment of all the federal public institutions and the need to upgrade their facilities, we have done that and the report has been presented before the council being chaired by our boss, Mr President.
“And secondly, Galaxy Backbone was established to be providing digital services to all public institutions and with the presentation and prayer contained in the memo, federal government has redirected that all federal public institutions should always contact Galaxy Backbone as their first point of call whenever they have any IT project to be executed there.
“So most importantly our presentation here is about upgrading our ICT infrastructure and secondly directing institutions to patronize Galaxy and thirdly to show to us the commitment of the federal government towards promotion of our government digital services and this is in summary of what the memo is all about.”