THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) has given
approval for the purchase of fully air-conditioned trains as part of the
efforts to improve rail transportation system in the country.
Also, the Federal Government has declared that the Lagos-Kano axis route will be open for public use before Christmas.
Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, disclosed these yesterday while briefing newsmen at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Umar pointed out that the Federal Government is committed to the resuscitation of the railway system.
He added that the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri axis is expected to come up by next year.
Also, as part of the plan to modernise the rail transport system in the country, the Federal Executive Council approved award for the contract for the purchase of two sets of five-car Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs), each with the capacity of 540 passengers and an additional six 60 seater passenger coaches to be used for intra city mass transist services.
The total contract is in the sum of N4.3 billion and with a completion period of 13 months.
According to the Minister, "The rehabilitation of the ongoing narrow gauge track is in progress, the Lagos Kano which is the western axis will be open for use before Christmas.
"It is against this background that government decided to place the order for the purchase of the two set Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) which is a train that has two locomotives and three coaches all linked together."
He explained that "they are fully Air conditioned and is the same type like the one you have in Europe, China, America and other parts of the world. They are going to be used on the existing narrow gauge track."
He gave a hint that "by next year when the eastern corridor will be fully rehabilitated, that is Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, we will get additional supply of these locomotives and coaches."
Also, contract for consultancy services for the residence supervision of the construction of inland river port at Jamata- Lokoja received the approval of the council. "The contract was awarded in the sum is N121,114,875 with a completion period of seven weeks," he said.
According to the minister, the essence is to have on ground residence supervisor for the Jamata-Lokoja inland river port.
His words: "You will recall that about five months ago, Council approve the award of contract for the construction of the Jamata, Lokoja inland river port. "The work is in progress. This contract is to approve that they have a residence supervision consultant who will be overseeing the project on behalf of the federal Ministry of Transport and the National Inand Waterways Authority," he explained.
Additionally, the FEC also approved the sum of N189.7 million for the supply of radiation and explosive detection devices to be used by the Nigerian Ports Authority.
The contract has a completion period of four months.
According to the minister, "The radiation and explosive detection devices is used in timing the level of radiation of containers and other enclosed general goods and generally to monitor radio active material transport in the port.
"It is also to enhance capability via safety surveillance level in our ports. This is statutorily provided for in International Maritime Organisation regulations and is in tandem with international best practices to avoid danger to all port users during radio active source hangbdling and reception."
Another contract that scaled through yesterday was the supply of anti-Tuberculosis drugs worth N297.87m.
The drugs, according to Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, is capable of treating 500 Nigerians multi-drug resistant cases.
The minister also said that no less than N400,000 is needed to treat one patient.
He explained that it was for the high cost of treatment that made the Federal Government to intervene for the sake of those who can't afford that cost.
He said more of the drugs will be provided next year to meet high demand as 5,000 drug-resistant new cases emerge every year and these are different from the 800,000 normal tuberculosis cases treated every year.
The Council equally approved for the health ministry the purchase of vaccines worth $2.10m (N333m) for routine immunisation, which has since 2006 been supplied through UNICEF for safety reasons.
Also, FEC approved N6.3 billion for the take off of the new national identification cards scheme in the country.
Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, disclosed this while addressing State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting.
The project is expected to kick off this December.
The money, according to Johnson, is for the importation of 13 million smartcards to be used in registering Nigerians under the National Identity Management scheme.
Mrs Johnson explained that the first phase of the identity card scheme, on which the sum of N34.2 billion has already been spent by a previous administration, will now gulp the sum of N30.1 billion in the next three years.
She said the first category of the contract, intended to jump-start issuance of the identity card under the accelerated implementation of the National Identity Management System (NIMS) project, is the contract for the supply of smart card awarded to Messrs Auspoint Ltd, Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company and Telnet in the sum of N5.3 billion.
The second category, according to her, is a contract for card personalisation will be executed by Messrs Chams Consortium Limited and Messrs One Scorecard Ltd in the sum of over N1 billion.
She noted that the initial smart cards that will be used now will be imported, while subsequently ones will be manufactured in the country in compliance with the local content initiative.
Mrs Johnson further revealed that 30,000 Nigerians have already been registered in a pilot project embarked upon by the NIMS.
The minister explained that additional smartcards will be procured next year but they will have to be produced in Nigeria.
Already, 30,000 applicants have been registered with Direct Data Capture machines that have been distributed to all states of the federation.
Mrs. Johnson said the cards are highly secure and difficult to fake and will be personalised here in Nigeria with applicants' biometric data making it possible for them to be used for health insurance schemes, pensions, tax, voting data, and relevant banking purposes.
Her words: "Council approved the award of the purchase and the subsequent personalisation of 13 million smart cards for the National Identity Management scheme for the sum of N6.4 billion. These are highly secured chip cards and have 18 security features that will ensure that the cards will not be easily forged or illegally acquired.
"The cards will contain both the National Identity number of every Nigerian citizen that enrolled. It will also contain the biometric data for each citizen as well.
"The cards will also host 13 applications and the reason for this is the beginning of the harmonization and the integration of government agency databases for agencies that require the authentication and the validation of the citizen's identity, before there are offered of given a service. And this will include things like the National Health Insurance Scheme, passport, pensions, drivers Licence, tax, voting data and of course payment systems as well.
"The first tranche of cards of 13 million that were approved by FEC today will be imported, but the personalisation will be done here in Nigeria, but the expectation is that come 2013 when we order the next tranch of cards, they will be produced and personalised in Nigeria in furtherance of the local content agenda and job creation agenda of the ministry of communication technology and of course President Jonathan's administration."
She also added that "Anyone in the 36 states that enroll to get a social identity number will get the chip. It is on first come, first serve basis. We are immediately going to the 774 local governments with connectivity.
"At the point of enrolment, you will be asked to show some form of identity that shows you are a Nigerian".
Other approvals given for award of contracts are the contract for the engagement of consultants for Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) fiscal allocation and statutory disbursement audit 2007-2011, construction of the Jos-Kafanchan 132 KV, rehabilitation of Umana-Agba-Ebenebe-Amansi Akwa road and the construction of Ogrute-Umuida-Unadu-Akpanya-Oduru road," she said
CompassAlso, the Federal Government has declared that the Lagos-Kano axis route will be open for public use before Christmas.
Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, disclosed these yesterday while briefing newsmen at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Umar pointed out that the Federal Government is committed to the resuscitation of the railway system.
He added that the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri axis is expected to come up by next year.
Also, as part of the plan to modernise the rail transport system in the country, the Federal Executive Council approved award for the contract for the purchase of two sets of five-car Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs), each with the capacity of 540 passengers and an additional six 60 seater passenger coaches to be used for intra city mass transist services.
The total contract is in the sum of N4.3 billion and with a completion period of 13 months.
According to the Minister, "The rehabilitation of the ongoing narrow gauge track is in progress, the Lagos Kano which is the western axis will be open for use before Christmas.
"It is against this background that government decided to place the order for the purchase of the two set Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) which is a train that has two locomotives and three coaches all linked together."
He explained that "they are fully Air conditioned and is the same type like the one you have in Europe, China, America and other parts of the world. They are going to be used on the existing narrow gauge track."
He gave a hint that "by next year when the eastern corridor will be fully rehabilitated, that is Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, we will get additional supply of these locomotives and coaches."
Also, contract for consultancy services for the residence supervision of the construction of inland river port at Jamata- Lokoja received the approval of the council. "The contract was awarded in the sum is N121,114,875 with a completion period of seven weeks," he said.
According to the minister, the essence is to have on ground residence supervisor for the Jamata-Lokoja inland river port.
His words: "You will recall that about five months ago, Council approve the award of contract for the construction of the Jamata, Lokoja inland river port. "The work is in progress. This contract is to approve that they have a residence supervision consultant who will be overseeing the project on behalf of the federal Ministry of Transport and the National Inand Waterways Authority," he explained.
Additionally, the FEC also approved the sum of N189.7 million for the supply of radiation and explosive detection devices to be used by the Nigerian Ports Authority.
The contract has a completion period of four months.
According to the minister, "The radiation and explosive detection devices is used in timing the level of radiation of containers and other enclosed general goods and generally to monitor radio active material transport in the port.
"It is also to enhance capability via safety surveillance level in our ports. This is statutorily provided for in International Maritime Organisation regulations and is in tandem with international best practices to avoid danger to all port users during radio active source hangbdling and reception."
Another contract that scaled through yesterday was the supply of anti-Tuberculosis drugs worth N297.87m.
The drugs, according to Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, is capable of treating 500 Nigerians multi-drug resistant cases.
The minister also said that no less than N400,000 is needed to treat one patient.
He explained that it was for the high cost of treatment that made the Federal Government to intervene for the sake of those who can't afford that cost.
He said more of the drugs will be provided next year to meet high demand as 5,000 drug-resistant new cases emerge every year and these are different from the 800,000 normal tuberculosis cases treated every year.
The Council equally approved for the health ministry the purchase of vaccines worth $2.10m (N333m) for routine immunisation, which has since 2006 been supplied through UNICEF for safety reasons.
Also, FEC approved N6.3 billion for the take off of the new national identification cards scheme in the country.
Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, disclosed this while addressing State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting.
The project is expected to kick off this December.
The money, according to Johnson, is for the importation of 13 million smartcards to be used in registering Nigerians under the National Identity Management scheme.
Mrs Johnson explained that the first phase of the identity card scheme, on which the sum of N34.2 billion has already been spent by a previous administration, will now gulp the sum of N30.1 billion in the next three years.
She said the first category of the contract, intended to jump-start issuance of the identity card under the accelerated implementation of the National Identity Management System (NIMS) project, is the contract for the supply of smart card awarded to Messrs Auspoint Ltd, Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company and Telnet in the sum of N5.3 billion.
The second category, according to her, is a contract for card personalisation will be executed by Messrs Chams Consortium Limited and Messrs One Scorecard Ltd in the sum of over N1 billion.
She noted that the initial smart cards that will be used now will be imported, while subsequently ones will be manufactured in the country in compliance with the local content initiative.
Mrs Johnson further revealed that 30,000 Nigerians have already been registered in a pilot project embarked upon by the NIMS.
The minister explained that additional smartcards will be procured next year but they will have to be produced in Nigeria.
Already, 30,000 applicants have been registered with Direct Data Capture machines that have been distributed to all states of the federation.
Mrs. Johnson said the cards are highly secure and difficult to fake and will be personalised here in Nigeria with applicants' biometric data making it possible for them to be used for health insurance schemes, pensions, tax, voting data, and relevant banking purposes.
Her words: "Council approved the award of the purchase and the subsequent personalisation of 13 million smart cards for the National Identity Management scheme for the sum of N6.4 billion. These are highly secured chip cards and have 18 security features that will ensure that the cards will not be easily forged or illegally acquired.
"The cards will contain both the National Identity number of every Nigerian citizen that enrolled. It will also contain the biometric data for each citizen as well.
"The cards will also host 13 applications and the reason for this is the beginning of the harmonization and the integration of government agency databases for agencies that require the authentication and the validation of the citizen's identity, before there are offered of given a service. And this will include things like the National Health Insurance Scheme, passport, pensions, drivers Licence, tax, voting data and of course payment systems as well.
"The first tranche of cards of 13 million that were approved by FEC today will be imported, but the personalisation will be done here in Nigeria, but the expectation is that come 2013 when we order the next tranch of cards, they will be produced and personalised in Nigeria in furtherance of the local content agenda and job creation agenda of the ministry of communication technology and of course President Jonathan's administration."
She also added that "Anyone in the 36 states that enroll to get a social identity number will get the chip. It is on first come, first serve basis. We are immediately going to the 774 local governments with connectivity.
"At the point of enrolment, you will be asked to show some form of identity that shows you are a Nigerian".
Other approvals given for award of contracts are the contract for the engagement of consultants for Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) fiscal allocation and statutory disbursement audit 2007-2011, construction of the Jos-Kafanchan 132 KV, rehabilitation of Umana-Agba-Ebenebe-Amansi Akwa road and the construction of Ogrute-Umuida-Unadu-Akpanya-Oduru road," she said
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