FG approves N13.9bn for Bayelsa airport

*…N5bn for reconstruction of bombed UN building
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday approved the construction of an international airport in Bayelsa State.
The contract was awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC, at N13.9bn with a completion period of 24 months.
Briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said that the airport would be similar to the Port Harcourt International Airport, which is just two hours drive to Yenagoa.
He said that the approval of an international terminal for Bayelsa followed a memo by the Aviation Minister, Ms Stella Oduah, towards achieving the goals of the Federal Government’s agenda in the aviation sector of the economy.
Maku said the terminal building was necessary because of the activities of the oil and gas companies in the state, stressing that it would also beef up the security of oil installations in the region.
He explained that the Federal Government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of the Peoples Republic of China for the construction of new international terminal buildings at the five international airports and perishable cargo terminals at Abuja, Lagos , Kano, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Asaba airports.
Maku added that part of the funds for the project would be provided by the Government of China.
Also yesterday, then FEC approved the sum of N5.15bn for the rebuilding and rehabilitation of the United Nations, UN, building in Abuja.
The building was bombed by the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, on August 26 last year.
The approval was in fulfillment of the pledge made by President Goodluck Jonathan that the Federal Government would assist in rebuilding the structure.
About 20 people died in the incident with dozens of others injured.
The contract was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
Also yesterday, the council approved the purchase of a new air ambulance, a Cessna Citation Sovereign Jet aircraft, equipped with emergency medical facilities for the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA.
The purchase was approved at a cost of $23.17m with a delivery period of 32 weeks.
NEMA Director-General, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, said that the purchase was necessitated by the recent increase in natural and human-induced disasters in the country.
The council also approved N554.05m for the supply of seven new CAT 320DL hydraulic excavators and one new LODICO Low Loader (Flat Bed) with tractor head at a cost of N52.08m in favour of Messrs Tripple K Investment Limited with a delivery period of 15 weeks.
FEC also approved to upgrade NEMA’s existing CISCO VIOP infrastructure at N184.78m and the supply and installation of digital Motorola two-way radios, repeaters and base stations at the agencies headquarters and its zonal offices at the cost of N271.69m with a delivery period of eight weeks.
While speaking on road projects approved by the council, Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, said that approval was given for the augmentation of the project cost of the Kano- Maiduguri expressway, which was awarded in 2006, from N172bn to N285bn.
According to him, FEC also approved the construction of four sections of the Obajana-Benin road at the sum of N65.2bn. The breakdown shows that each section of the road will gulp N11.6bn. The sections are: Obajana-Okene, Okene-Auchi, Auchi-Ehor and Ehor- Benin City.
He stated that the rehabilitation of the section 2 of the Calabar-Ugep-Ogoja- Katsina-Ala road, was also augmented, while four contracts for the construction of federal roads and bridges in Taraba, Niger and Kano states were approved.
Also approved yesterday by the council was the draft framework for the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan, NIMP.
According to the minister, the framework is for the development of the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan from 2014 to 2043, as the current infrastructure stock of the country is inadequate to support the economic growth target of the Vision 20:2020
FEC also approved the establishment of a Council on Niger Delta for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to check duplication of roles and provide a forum for sharing ideas among agencies involved in policies, projects and programmes formulation and implementation in the region.