TheCable

The federal executive council (FEC) has approved N66.9 billion for the rehabilitation of the Kashimbila-Takum-Chanchangi road in Taraba state.

Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing journalists at the end of the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said the project will help boost the transportation network in Taraba state and the entire north-east region.

“The ministry of works and housing presented one memorandum and it was for the rehabilitation of the 91.94 kilometer Kashimbila-Takum-Chanchangi road in Taraba state and the council approved the proposal by the ministry in the sum of N66.983 billion,” Fashola said.

At the meeting, the council also approved N23.9 billion for the procurement of equipment for some airports across the country.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, listed the equipment to include radio communication systems for some control towers and instrument landing systems for some airports.

“The minister of aviation presented two memos, one was for the award of contract for the upgrade of 12 airports’ tower voice communication and control system radio for 12 airports located in Akure, Benin, Calabar, Ibadan, Ilorin, Jos, Minna, Owerri, Sokoto, Yola, Kaduna, and Enugu,” he said.

“The contract was for the sum of N9.988 billion with a completion period of 13 months.

“As you are aware, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency NAMA has a statutory mandate to enhance the safety and security of the Nigerian airspace and it is in line with this that it sought to upgrade 12 air control towers’ voice and communication control system.

“The ministry of aviation also sought and obtained approval for the award of contract for the procurement and installation of airfield lighting category three instrument landing systems in Lagos, Abuja, Katsina, and Port Harcourt airports.

“This has to do with safety. The memo was approved and the contract was awarded in the sum of N14, 036, 000, 000.”

Mohammed said the move was necessitated by the recent increase in the fleet of passengers across the airports.

“This is in a bid to carry out the statutory mandate of developing and managing all relevant aviation services for the safe, secure, and efficient carriage of passengers and goods,” he added.