From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided by President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, approved about N89.6 billion worth of contracts for award under the ministries of Works and Housing and Aviation.
It also approved the draft national policy on internally displaced persons in Nigeria.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who briefed State House Correspondents alongside his Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management, Social Development counterpart, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk and Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said specifically, FEC approved for his ministry contract for the dualization of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road at the cost of N79.649 billion.
He explained that the approved contract is in relation to the section from Oku Iboku Power Plant to Abak of about 26 kilometre stretch.
Fashola stated: “The Ministry of Works and Housing presented the memorandum for the completion of the dualization of the Odukpani-Itu-Ikot Ekpene road. And this is in relation to the section from Oku Iboku Power Plant to Abak of about 26 kilometre stretch. Council approved the award to Messers Sematech Nigeria Ltd for N79.649 billion to be executed over 16 months.
“So, this will help complete the dualization gaps between the one awarded to Julius Berger and the section awarded to CCECC. When this is done, motorists in that area will now have an option of the dual carriageway instead of the existing single carriageway.
“And this is in recognition of the heavy cargo that passes through that area from the south-south through to the north central, Benue through Katsina Ala through to the south east to Abia. It’s very very important trade link for the country.”
Part of the road project had in 2020 been awarded at the close of N54 billion. Giving update on the 2020 contract award for the same project, Fashola blamed paucity fund to the slow pace of implement the project.
He said: “Okay, first of all, it’s important for us to have a common understanding of the area, that is the rain forest area of Nigeria, mangrove areas, very high water table and rains in seven, eight months of the year.
“So, when we awarded the first section, from Odukpani-Itu to Julius Berger in 2016, they could not move to site because of the limited budgetary requisitions.
“So, that slowed down work in that area and they didn’t move to site until 2018. And the second section, which was from Abak to Ikot Ekpene was awarded last year February 2020. We have had to mobilise some Suku resources to the area.
“Sometime last year, you might recall that I was there visiting with the governor, I actually went twice and we focused first on the link road from Alese-Ugep area because that was a very big bad one, that one use to take like, three, four days to traverse a 70 kilometer road.”