By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday approved contracts for the emergency rehabilitation and improvement of access roads to the Idu Screening and Isolation Center and Gosa Solid Waste disposal site in Abuja at a contract sum of N3,524,524,912.81 (Three Billion, Five Hundred and Twenty Four Million, Five Hundred and Twenty Four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twelve Naira, Eighty One Kobo) to Messrs CCECC Nigeria Ltd.
The Council also approved the contract for the Emergency Rehabilitation /Improvement of Access Road to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) Reference Laboratory in the Gaduwa District of Abuja at the sum of N2,493,389,942.88 (Two Billion, Four Hundred and Ninety Three Million, Three Hundred and Eighty Nine Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty Two Naira and Eighty Eight Kobo) to Messrs CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nig Ltd.
This cheering news was contained in a press statement signed by Anthony Ogunleye, Chief Press Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Abuja.
According to the statement: “These approvals were based on memos presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) by the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello. However, speaking on the significance of the projects, the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Umar Gambo Jibrin revealed that at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, the site currently housing the Idu Screening and Isolation Center was identified as the best suited place for the establishment of such a facility out of several that were considered for the fight against the virus.
However, the access road to the Idu Isolation Center was unmotorable, hence the need for its rehabilitation. On the construction of the access road to the NCDC at the Gaduwa District, Engr Jibrin said that in a similar vein, at the onset of the pandemic the access road to the NCDC facility at Gaduwa was equally unmotorable leading to the decision to embark on an emergency procurement process to rehabilitate it.
The Executive Secretary said that the rehabilitation works are substantially completed and include the installation of standalone solar streetlights. He also revealed that in the course of rehabilitating the access road to the NCDC, access road to the Nigerian Medical Dental Council facility also located within the Gaduwa District was also rehabilitated.
According to the Executive Secretary, these projects are essential to the FCT Administration in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prompt News gathered that funding for these projects are sourced from the Revised FCT Year 2020 Statutory Budget.
