The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved N87.538 billion for road projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as well as Oyo, Benue and Nasarawa states.
This was announced to State House Correspondents after the week’s virtual FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
Addressing reporters after the meeting, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who was accompanied by his FCT counterpart, Mallam Mohammed Bello, and the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said his ministry presented two memoranda to Council and that both were approved.
He said FEC approved a variation of N47.504 billion for the completion of the 52-kilometre Oyo-Ogbomosho highway, which is a part of the Ilorin-Ibadan 145-kilometre highway.
The minister said the variation had increased the contract sum to N105.041 billion.
“We needed to adjust some things in the scope of work, the thickness of the pavement, from 500 mm to 560mm, to also change the asphalt to polymer-modified bitumen and the shoulders from surface dressing to fully asphalted inside and outside shoulders.
“So, all these required changes in prices of N47.504 billion and this has increased the total contract to N105.041 billion.
“This was the revision that we presented, which Council approved. This road was awarded in 2010. As I said, sections One and Three were completed. We are trying to complete Section Two, which we also inherited,” Fashola said.
The minister said the Council also approved a N9.348 billion variation to complete Lokko-Oweto Bridge, which links Nasarawa to Benue, adding that the development had changed the contract price from N51.621 billion to N60.961 billion.
“The second similar project, which we are trying complete, is the Lokko-Oweto Bridge. That is the bridge across the River Benue, linking Nasarawa and Benue states. It provides a major time-saving detour of about four hours for people trying to come from the Southsouth and Benue through Nasarawa to Abuja.
“That project was awarded in 2011 and it was awarded in three different sections. One section, the road to Benue, to Oweto, was awarded to one contractor. We have completed that road. The bridge was awarded to another contractor; the bridge is essentially finished now. It’s open to traffic.
“And then Lokko to Nasarawa – about 74 kilometres – was awarded to another contractor. We are trying to sort out that problem and we will come back to it.
“So, the approval given today (yesterday) was a N9.348 billion variation to complete the bridge component or the remaining work on the bridge. If you go there now, it’s already open to traffic. Finishing and …work to link the existing road in the Benue side to the bridge is what we got this variation for. So, changes are in the contract price from N51.621 billion to N60.961 billion.
He said the project is within Phase II of the Federal Capital City (FCC), serving as the boundary road among the adjoining districts of Mabushi, Kado, Katampe and Jabi.
Bello said the project would improve access to the districts, improve security and provide skilled and unskilled labour.
The minister stressed that the road would further enhance overall decongestion of traffic in phases I, II, III, IV of the FCC.