• As FEC approves N32.4bn for National Library completion

 

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Federal Government has announced dates for the delivery of some of the key projects executed by the administration, including the Second Niger Bridge, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, as well as two sections of the Abuja-Kano Expressway.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who briefed State House Correspondents on behalf of his Works and Housing counterpart, Babatunde Fasola, said while the Lagos-Ibadan Road will be delivered on April 30 this year, the Second Niger Bridge will be one of those to be delivered on May 15.

According to him, the council also approved a N1.398 billion variation for the completion of the second phase of the Uto Bridge in Delta state.

“The first memo he presented today was a memo seeking approval for revised estimated total cost of a contract for the completion of Phase 2 of Uto Bridge, 2.6 kilometer stretch in Ikenke, Delta State. This is an old project which we are committed to completing, I think the project was awarded in year 2006, but we are committed to completing it so today the FEC approved the sum of N1.398 billion to revise the contract from the N4.435 billion to N5.835 billion, inclusive of 7.5% VAT, to ensure that we’re able to complete this project before we leave.

“Also the Minister of Works brought approval for the ongoing bypassing, I think along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, but the good thing about this project is that we can very confidently and proudly announce that the Kano-Zaria 137 kilometer and the Zaria-Kaduna, 73 kilometers, will be handed over to us on May 15. Ditto the Second Niger Bridge will be handed over to us on May 15, the Lagos-Ibadan 116 kilometers, with toll gates, will be handed over to us on April 30

“The Loko-Oweto Bridge is also completed, so also is the Ikom Bridge completed. Our Federal Secretariats in Nasarawa, Awka, Bayelsa and Zamfara State are also completed and the Zuba housing project, 700 apartments, they’re also already for commissioning”, he said.

The Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, on his part said council approved an estimated N32.4 billion for the completion of the National Library of Nigeria headquarters building complex in Abuja.

According to him, “Federal Ministry of Education presented a memo for approval for the revised estimated total cost of contract for the completion of the construction of National Library of Nigeria headquarters building complex in Abuja, the revised estimated cost is N32.4 billion.

“The scope of work for the project includes the construction of a concrete structure consisting of 11 floors, two basement floors and eight upper floors for housing bookstore, locker rooms, bindery, printing press, restaurants, clinic, creches changing rooms exhibition hall, auditorium, cataloguing, general reference areas, legal deposits, office for the administration book stacks, reading areas, electronic data processing center, library research and training center public convenience and underground car pack furnishing as well as perimeter fencing, gates and gatehouses, internal roads, electrical and mechanical services and other external works,” he said.