By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
The Federal Executive Council ( FEC) has approved the sum of N32.4 billion for the completion of the National Library of Nigeria headquarters which has been under construction for a long time.
This cheering news was dropped by Minister of State for Education, Chief Goodluck Nanah Opia while briefing State House Correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday.
At the briefing, Opia told reporters that: “Today, in the Federal Council meeting, the 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 N32.4bn.
“This contract was originally awarded in the 2006 to Reynolds Construction Company Limited RCC and has undergone further revisions until 2017 when the company presented request for variation amounting to N78bn naira which was considered quite unacceptable by the Federal Ministry of Education. And therefore, an adhoc committee of technical stakeholders was set up to review the variation.
“The ad hoc committee was comprised of Ministery of Education The National Library of Nigeria, the Federal Capital Development Authority who to the supervisory agency, the consultant to the project and the consultant itself.
“And after exhaustive review, the cost was brought down to N49.6bn which was acceptable to the contractor. Before then, previous certificates amounting to about N11.9bn had already been earned.
“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.
“The memo was duly considered and approved by the cause. Thank you”.
