Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Federal Government on Wednesday disclosed that the Federal Fire Service responded to 2,615 fire calls, saved 724 lives and assets worth N1. 629 trillion between June and October 2019.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola said made the disclosure while briefing State House Correspondents, on decisions reached at fourth virtual cabinet meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He explained that the figure was evaluated within the operational competence of the Fire service to evaluate the worth of property so as to put clear information and message of their activities and what they have done.

“In their intervention therefore what this means is that they have prevented destruction of assets worth N1. 629 trillion between June and October 2019, while saving 724 lives and responded to 2,215 fire calls.”

Meanwhile, the Council has approved over N115.5 billion for various roads in some parts of the country.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said: “The Ministry of Works presented two memoranda for consideration and award of three roads, all of which Council graciously approved.

“They are the award of the Jebi-Lamba-Bele Road in Adamawa State for N26.829 billion. The Achingali-Udobi-Udona-Umuwana-Ubakala Road, including the bridge, across the Imo River in Imo State, for the sum of N11.540 billion. The Jarmai-Bashar-Zuruk-Karim Lamido Road, linking Plateau and Taraba States, in the sum of N77.279 billion.”

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Fashola said the projects are consistent with the ministerial responsibilities his ministry was mandated to execute under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan and the commitment to improving road transport infrastructure across Nigeria.

“For example, the road that links Plateau and Taraba States, when completed along with the Ibi Bridge, will reduce the journey time from Abuja to Jalingo in Taraba from about 12 hours to about eight hours.

“It will be a significant reduction in journey time and also the other roads will be equally beneficial in bringing down cost of goods, cost of transportation and cost of doing business,” he said.

Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said Council approval of revised estimated total cost for the completion of Zungeru-Wushishi Water Supply Project in Niger State in favour of Messr R Services, Zilon Construction Services Joint Venture  in the sum of N5.021 billion, raising the project from N1.93 billion to N6.955 billion, inclusive all taxes.

He explained: “This is a project that was started in 1998 by Niger State Government. They couldn’t continue. Eventually, it was transferred to Federal Government.

“In 2012, there was an effort to revive the project. That was when it was revised from N889 million to N1.9 billion. But after the work started and attained about 30 percent completion, funding stopped. So, after coming into office, we did some auditing of the projects inherited in 2015. And we accorded this project medium priority. Now that we have almost all our high priority projects in the ministry approaching completion, especially water supply side, we decided to bring this project forward.

“Of course, one of the reasons why the cost had to be revised was because the design as of 1998 was for one million gallon per day water treatment system. Then, from 1998 to 2020 today, definitely, if you apply our growth rate, you will know that scheme as was then designed was no longer feasible for the two twin town of Zungeru and Wushishi. Zungeru in particular is of varied interest to us because it’s one of the most historical city in the country, being the first colonial capital of northern Nigeria and the birthplace of the first President-General, Dr Nnamdi Azikwe and with all the infrastructure around it- Shiroro Dam, Jebba, and River Niger.

“For such an historical town to be in the 21st century and cannot boast of adequate water supply, we think it’s not something we can wish away. “So, we accorded it the priority that it deserves and we got approval of FEC to  that effect.”