The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved an additional N1.6billion being augmentation sum for Manyam-Ushongo-Lessel-Kartyo-Oju-Agila road project in Benue State.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced this while briefing State House correspondents on behalf of the Minister of Works and Housing after the FEC meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday in the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The minister said that the initial cost of the project was N1.35billion which was reviewed to N2.9billion.
“The Minister of Works and Housing presented one of the memos which was to seek an approval for the revised estimated total cost of contract of rehabilitation for the construction of Manyam-Ushongo-Lessel-Kartyo-Oju-Agila road in Benue State.
“The contract for this road was actually awarded first in 2012; due to whatever reason, it is still not completed.
“Of course, if the contract was awarded in 2012, then 10 years later, you expect the contractor to ask for augmentation and that’s what happened today; it was approved.
“The original contract was N1.35billion and is now being augmented with an additional N1.6billion; so the sum total is N2.9billion.”
He said that the second memo approved for the ministry had to do with the Mabuchi headquarters of the Ministry of Works and Housing.
According to him, the Ministry’s headquarters does not depend or rely on the national grid for its power because it relies on its solar grid.
“And the memo today was to seek approval for the estimated total cost of the contract for the design and installation of solar power plus micro grid system and energy befitting of the ministry.
“Sometime in March 2019, a contract was awarded for the provision of a solar power that would power the entire ministry; it was awarded at the cost, then, of about N2.7billion.
“Now, they are seeking an augmentation of N309million to bring the total cost to N3billion.
“The reason for the augmentation is that in the process of executing the project certain works which were not anticipated before were to be taken into consideration.
“And in addition, this augmentation also includes a maintenance contract of the installation.”
He said it was pertinent to note that the Federal Government was diversifying its sources of energy.
“And this is clean energy and the minister threw an invitation to any ministry that wants to go solar that they will provide the advice for them,” Mohammed said.
