The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved $984.7 million for the procurement of maintenance equipment for the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).

FEC also approved N5 billion for the provision of accommodation to the staff of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, and the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, disclosed these when they briefed State House correspondents at the end of the weekly council meeting.

President Muhammadu Buhari presided over the meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to Mr Sambo, the NRC equipment are specifically meant for the Kano-Maradi rail line connecting Nigeria and the neighbouring Niger Republic.

“The contract was awarded to a company that is also the contractor handling the railway project in the sum of $984,722,302.05 inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT with a completion period of four years.”

He also disclosed that the council approved over N510 million for the supply of customised Fire Service Vehicles for the Nigerian Ports Authority.

“The Federal Ministry of Transportation also presented a memo to the council on behalf of two of its agencies.

”The first agency was the Nigerian Ports Authority which sought to provide for the award of contract for the construction.

“And supply of four customised Fire Service search and rescue vans for extrication of accident victims for Rivers Ports, Port Harcourt, Lagos Port Complex, Tin Can Island Port, and Marina Headquarters all in Lagos.

“The council considered the memorandum and approved the award of the contract as recommended and reviewed by the Bureau of Public Procurement in the sum of N510, 934,600 million inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT with a completion period of nine months,” he said.

On his part, the Minister of Justice said the council approved N5 billion for the construction of residential accommodation for officers and men of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

According to the minister, this has become necessary to further secure the lives and property of personnel of the agency.

“As you are aware, there has been renewed and sustained onslaught by the NDLEA against drug cartels and barons. Within the three quarters of 2023, about 18,940 arrests were affected by the NDLEA, and indeed drugs worth an estimated value of over N40 billion were confiscated.

“The successes that were recorded unfortunately translated to unprecedented threats and attacks on personnel; the officers, men and other ranks of the agency.

”Thus, the need has arisen for the Nigerian government to consider the possibility of taking security measures that will now provide the desired protection to officers and men of the NDLEA.”

He further revealed that the council gave approval for the construction of two categories of barracks totalling 192 flats.

“Accordingly, two contracts were awarded to two different contractors. The first one is for the construction of barracks comprising a total 92 units of three-bedroom semi-detached flats for Narcotics Superintendents and Narcotics Assistant Superintendents at the cost of N2, 267,785, 450.83.

“The second contract was in the sum of N2, 889,480,320. Fifty-five for the construction of barracks comprising a total 100 units of two and three-bedroom semi-detached flats for Narcotics Superintendents and Narcotics Agents,” he said. 

(NAN)