The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FEC

  • FEC approves N1.3bn contracts to reposition NAN, NTA, FRCN

    The Federal Government on Wednesday approved N1.3 billion contracts to strengthen and reposition its media outfits for effective information dissemination.

    The media organisations to benefit from the projects include the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nigeria Television Authority and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this when he briefed State House Correspondents on the outcome of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The minister announced the approval of the contracts for the procurement of cameras, television packs and other broadcast equipment at a cost of N283.8 million for the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA).

    He also announced sum of N148.7 million for the procurement of 15 Peugeot vehicles for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He added that N873.5 million was approved for the procurement of twelve 10 Kilowatts FM transmitters and three Outside Broadcast Vans for the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).

    Read also: March 2019 FGN bond auction oversubscribed

    He went further to give the breakdown of the FRCN contracts as N561million for the twelve 10 kilowatts transmitters, and N311 million for the three Outside Broadcast Vans.

    The minister also explained that the upgrade of equipment at the NTA took place more than a decade ago.

    “I also presented three memos today on behalf of three parastatals in my ministry, the NTA, the News Agency of Nigeria and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.

    “The memo by the NTA was for an approval for the award of contract for the procurement of cameras, microphones and television pack for a total sum of N283, 813,990.75.

    “It is significant to note that in the last 20 years, only twice that attempts have been made to upgrade the equipment of the NTA.

    “The first attempt was in 1999 during the FIFA Under-20 World Cup and the last was in 2009 when Nigeria hosted the FIFA Under-17 World Cup

    “So also the News Agency of Nigeria also presented their memo. But, here largely they wanted vehicles to them move to gather and disseminate news.

    “So, the contract for the procurement of 15 vehicles from Peugeot Nigeria ltd was awarded to them for N148, 740,900,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • FEC approves N1.4 billion for DPR building design

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday approved N1.4 billion for the design of 12-floor building design for the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

    This was disclosed by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu briefed State House correspondents at the end of FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He was with the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed and Minister of Trade and Industry, Okechukwu Enelamah after 6 hours FEC meeting.

    The contract, he said, is for the design of the head office of DPR in Abuja, which is currently situated in Lagos State.

    ‘Today we got the approval to begin the process to relocate them to Abuja.” he said

    When asked if the sum was not too much for designing the building, he said that it only represented about 2% of the proposed N35 billion cost of the building.

  • FEC okays N27.4b for states affected by flooding, conflicts

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved N27.4 billion for intervention in states ravaged by flooding and conflicts.

    This was made known by Kebbi State Governor Atiku bagudu who doubles as Vice Chairman of the National Food Security Council.

    He briefed State House reporters after about seven hours of deliberation at the weekly FEC meeting, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House,  Abuja.

    Bagudu said the FEC approved N18.9 billion for intervention in 14 states ravaged by flooding.

    Noting that the list of the states is not exhaustive, he said that the intervention will take form of seedlings, fertilisers among other items.

    According to him, 163,117 beneficiaries would be covered in the affected states, adding that FEC approved N8.5 billion for intervention in states ravaged by conflicts.

    Some of the states to benefit are: Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.

    According to him, 69,872 people will benefit from the intervention.

    He said: “FEC considered and approved two memos from the national food security council. First it approved the intervention for states that have been affected by conflicts and insecurity, where many have been displaced from their homes and some are living in Internally Displaced Persons camps.

    “While support has been given in terms of accommodation, food, welfare, the national food security council considered the importance of helping them restore their livelihood activities, particularly agricultural activity. Council approved the memo by Mr. President and approved N8, 558,529,755 for intervention in Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.

    “The beneficiaries are estimated about 69,872 people. The intervention includes provision of fertilizer, seedlings, chemicals, poultry and animals to enable them resume economic activity.

    “Secondly, council considered and approved the submission which originated from national food security council on states that have been severely affected by flooding. It is not an exhaustive list because the National Emergency Management Agency statutorily provides all states that experience one emergency or the other.

    “Last year, there was unusual amount of flooding in some states about 14 of them and the national Food Security Council considered the impact of that flooding on the agricultural sector, food security, animal husbandry and fisheries. And so, today the council approved an intervention totally N18, 942,818,912.14.

    “Contracts would be awarded to 15 companies to provide seedlings, agro chemicals and fertilizers to 163,117 beneficiaries located in 14 states.

    “The states are Adamawa, Anambra, Beyelsa, Benue, Delta, Edo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto and Taraba.

    “As part of the work of national food security council, other interventions have been considered and are being worked upon by the beneficiary community and also the livestock sector.”

    On his part, Environment Minister Suleiman Hassan said that the Council also approved another tranche of five contracts totaling N3.09 billion for continuation of remedial work on Ogoni land environmental reclamation project.

    The reclamation project is sequel to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) report, for which Buhari flagged off the project in 2016. Sixteen contracts had earlier been awarded for the project.

    He explained that the five lots were brought to the FEC because it was above the threshold of the ministerial tenders’ board unlike the first 16 lots that passed through the board.

    Other approvals by the FEC, according to Education Minister

  • FEC okays N27.4b for states affected by flooding, conflicts

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday approved N27.4 billion for intervention in states ravaged by flooding and conflicts.

    This was disclosed by the Kebbi State Governor and Vice Chairman of the National Food Security Council, Atiku Bagudu.

    He briefed State House correspondents after about seven hours FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said that the FEC approved N18.9 billion for intervention in 14 states ravaged by flooding.

    Noting that the list of the states is not exhaustive, he said that the intervention will take the form of seedlings, fertilizers among other items.

    According to him, 163,117 beneficiaries will be covered in 14 states.

    He said that FEC approved N8.5 billion for intervention in states ravaged by conflicts.

    Among the beneficiary states, he said, included Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Plateau, Taraba and Zamfara.

    While 69,872 people will benefit from the intervention, he said that it will take the form of fertilizers, seedlings, feeding and accommodation.

  • Buhari presides over FEC

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday presided over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

    The meeting, which started around 11.09am, was the first after the Presidential and National Assembly elections on the 23rd of February and the Governorship and state houses of Assembly elections of 9th of March, 2019.

    Members of the cabinet had paid a courtesy visit to the President on the 1st of March after he was declared winner of the presidential election.

    After rendition of the National anthem on Wednesday, the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, said the opening Muslim prayer, while the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, offered the opening Christian prayer.

    Read Also: ‘Buhari must have a workable policy’

    There were 28 ministers in the hall during the rendition of the National anthem.

    Also in the Council chamber were the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, Head of Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • FEC holds extra-ordinary session on minimum wage

    The N30,000 national minimum wage request is to be tabled tomorrow at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja.

    The request will also be presented to the National Council of State fixed for January 22, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) resolved yesterday.

    The FEC meeting, chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, also launched a new 60-page and 10-year Nigeria international passport.

    Information Minister Lai Mohammed told State House correspondents at the end of the emergency FEC meeting that the N30,000 minimum wage was still work in progress.

    Asked to speak on the minimum wage request discussed at the meeting, he said: “l cannot; because it is work in progress; since it will also be discussed at the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting before we come out with the decision, thereafter, we can brief the media.”

    A source, who pleaded for anonymity, also disclosed that the wage request will be presented to the National Council of State.

    Members of the NEC include  governors, who mostly have opposed the N30,000 new minimum wage and agreed to pay N22,500, and ministers of Justice and Finance and the Central Bank Governor.

    Labour has given the Federal Government up till January 23 to submit an executive bill on the new pay to the National Assembly.

    As the FEC meeting was ending, President Buhari was issued a new security features-enhanced international diplomatic passport following his launch of the new series of passports for Nigerians rolled out by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

    NIS Comptroller-General Mohammad Babandede handed Buhari the new passport after the President had inspected the mobile processing stand mounted at the Villa by NIS officials.

    Babandede said new electronic passport not only has enhanced security features but would bring discipline to the passport management system.

    The new passport, he said, will be issued concurrently with  the old passports.

    Read also: NEC, National Council of State to consider N30,000 Minimum Wage

    The standard passport with 32 pages goes for N25, 000 and $130 abroad; 64 pages for five years at N35, 000 and $150 abroad. The new 60-page with 10-year validity will cost N70, 000 in Nigeria and $230 abroad.

    The new passport reform programme has 25 special features.

    According to Babandede, it is weather-friendly and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)-compliant, with polycarbonate technology that eliminates damage and other security features.

    It will save Nigerians in the diaspora frequent visits to the Embassy for new passports.

    Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Danbazzau said only Nigerians of 18 years and above will be allowed to hold the 10 years passport.

    He said the government plans “to produce the e-passport locally with the Nigeria Security, Minting and Printing Company to create jobs locally and reduce costs”.

     

  • FG launches new international passport

    The Federal Government on Tuesday launched a new 60-page Nigeria international passport.

    The red diplomatic passport also has ten years life span.

    President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were issued their new 10-year Diplomatic passport by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) as the emergency Federal Executive Council (FEC) was drawing to a close on Tuesday.

    The passports were presented to them by the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau and assisted by the Comptroller General of NIS, Mohammed Babandede after their biometrics were captured and processed.

    Read Also: Nigerian Army deserves better welfare, says Atiku

    Apart from the ten-year validity, the new passport, according to Babandede, has 25 special features and difference from the existing passports.

    He said that it is an enhanced and self-tracking of application and ” weather friendly”.

    The new passport l, he said, has polycarbonate technology that eliminates damages.

    He also pointed out that it will now save Nigerians in disapora the time needed to frequently visit Nigerian embassies in search of new passports.

    The new passport, he said, will work concurrently with the existing passports.

  • FEC okays four new private universities

    THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the establishment of four new private universities.

    Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the first FEC meeting for the year chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Council, Abuja.

    The new universities, according to him, are Greenfield University, Kaduna, Dominion University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Trinity University, Ogun State and Westland University in Iwo, Osun State.

    He said the approvals were given because the four universities have met the criteria for establishing a university following a visitation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    The latest approvals bring the total number of private universities in the country to 73.

    Minister of State for Aviation Hedi Serika said the Council approved the contract for the procurement and installation of the second phase of Controller–pilot data link communications for the Kano flight information region.

    He said within the Kano flight information region is Abuja and Lagos airports, and the total contract sum is $5,403,271, which is equivalent to N1,652,320,271.80 exclusive of five per cent VAT.

    The contract, he said, is for Nigeria Airspace Management Agency.

    Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Ibe Kachikwu said the FEC approved two memos presented by the ministry on engineering procurement construction and installation for Opoho Okoho flexible pipelines in OML 119 and Escravos to Lagos gas pipeline phase one for additional unforeseen works in engineering.

    He said: “The FEC approved two memos from the Ministry of Petroleum. One was an EPCI contract, which is Engineering Procurement Construction and Installation contract for the 12 inch by six inch Opoho Okoho flexible pipelines in OML 119, which is awarded to messrs National Oil Verco Completion and MELCURT Nigeria Ltd.

    “It is a consortium of two companies. The total contract sum was $3.7 billion. The essence of this was that in 2014, the pipeline with which we were evacuating crude in that area gave way and so production became very marginal, we were operating average of about 20,000 barrels a day as against about 37,000 to 40,000 barrels.

    “This contract is therefore to replace that pipeline with a new technological flexible pipeline…

    “The second approval was on the Escravos to Lagos gas pipeline phase one for additional unforeseen works in engineering. The contract had been given in 2008 and it was about 83 per cent complete, but additional scope has been added to that pipeline and variation of about $9 million dollars was approved today (yesterday) to the previous amount, which was about $5, 100five billion naira and one hundred and seventy seven million dollars.

    “With the nine million added today, the new contract figure comes to about five billion naira and about one hundred and eight six million dollars. That pipeline is so critical; it is what helps us move stranded gas out of the Escravos of oil region back into the Escravos Lagos pipeline. It is two months contract.”

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola said the Council approved a National Public Building Maintenance Policy and Framework.

    He said the new policy, which institutionalised a maintenance culture in the country, saying that some of the benefits of the policy would to provide an inventory of government assets, and job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.

    He also said  the Council approved the first contract of over N800 million, for demarcation of specific area of land for the project, leading to enumeration and resettlement preparatory to construction of the Mambilla Hydro Power Project.

  • FG okays four new private universities

    The Federal Executive Council ( FEC ) on Wednesday approved the establishment of four new private universities in the country.

    This was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the first FEC meeting for the year chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Council, Abuja.

    The new Universities, according to him, are Greenfield University Kaduna, Dominion University, Ibadan Oyo state, Trinity University Ogun state and Westland University in Iwo, Osun state.

    He said the approvals were given because all the four universities have met the criteria for establishing a university following a visitation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    The latest approvals bring the total number of private universities in the country to 73.

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Hedi Serika, said the Council approved the contract for the procurement and installation of the second phase of Controller-pilot data link communications for the Kano flight information region.

    Controller-pilot data link communications also referred to as controller-pilot data link, is a method by which air traffic controllers can communicate with pilots over a datalink system.

    He said that within the Kano flight information region is Abuja and Lagos airports, and the total contract sum is $5,403,271 which is equivalent to N1,652,320,271.80 exclusive of five percent VAT.

    The contract, he said, is to Nigeria Airspace Management Agency.

    When completed, Sirika said that it will improve communication by digital means between the pilot and the controller, improve efficiency, make decision making faster and make departures and arrival seamless and faster.

    The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu said that the FEC approved two memos presented by the ministry on engineering procurement construction and installation for Opoho Okoho flexible pipelines in OML 119 and Escravos to Lagos gas pipeline phase one for additional unforeseen works in engineering.

    He said, “The Federal Executive Council approved two memos from the Ministry of Petroleum. One was an EPCI contract which is Engineering Procurement Construction and Installation contract for the twelve inches by six-inch Opoho Okoho flexible pipelines in OML 119 which is awarded to Messrs National Oil Verco completion and MELCURT Nigeria Ltd.

    “It is a consortium of two companies. The total contract sum was $3.7 billion. The essence of this was that in 2014, the pipeline with which we were evacuating crude in that area gave way and so production became very marginal, we were operating an average of about twenty thousand barrels a day as against about thirty-seven, forty thousand barrels.

    “This contract was, therefore, to replace that pipeline with a new technological flexible pipeline. The last pipeline lasted for only 50 years a lot of corrosive environment in which they operated. It is a nine-month contract. When completed, we will be able to get back production to forty thousand barrels per day.

    “It is very critical and will generate close to two hundred and seventy million dollars per annum. So it is very important.

    “The second approval was on the Escravos to Lagos gas pipeline phase one for additional unforeseen works in engineering, contract had been given in 2008 and it was about eighty-three percent complete but additional scope has been added to that pipeline and variation of about nine million dollars was approved today (yesterday) added to the previous amount which was about five billion naira and one hundred and seventy-seven million dollars.

    “With the nine million added today, the new contract figure comes to about five billion naira and about one hundred and eight-six million dollars. That pipeline is so critical; it is what helps us move stranded gas out of the Escravos of oil region back into the Escravos Lagos pipeline. It is two months contract.”

    The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the Council approved a National Public Building Maintenance Policy and Framework.

    He said the new policy, which institutionalized a maintenance culture in the country, saying that some of the benefits of the policy would provide an inventory of government assets, and job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.

    “We have trained artisans at different levels but we haven’t created an economy for them to go and express themselves – Tilers, Bricklayers, Plumbers, landscapers, fitters etc. When they leave training schools what do they do? They go and ride tricycles where there is no training school because there is an economy in tricycles – this is the answer.

    “So, we have started with a pilot (scheme) to demonstrate to Council that this will work.

    “Some of the things that this will bring include an inventory of all assets that government owns. It gives us an assessment of the conditions and value, then, it gives us a maintenance framework about what needs to be done after assessments and then a maintenance procurement manual.

    He also said that the Council approved the first contract of over N800 million, for demarcation of specific area of land for the project, leading to enumeration and resettlement preparatory to construction of the Mambilla Hydro Power Project.

  • Osinbajo presides over FEC

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday presided over brief Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which lasted about one hour thirty minutes.

    The brief FEC started about 10.03am when the Vice president arrived at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The opening Christian prayer was said by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelemah. The Muslim prayer was offered by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello.

    Read also: ‘Apapa gridlock, nuisance to environment,’ say Residents

    At the end of the meeting, the ministers and other cabinet members immediately proceeded to the National Assembly to accompany President Muhammadu Buhari for the presentation of the 2019 Appropriation Bill.

    Before proceeding to the National Assembly, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, said there would be no post-FEC media briefing.