* Approves N14.8b for FIRS Lagos office
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday approved the setting up of a team under the direction of the Finance Minister to examine, repurpose, privatize, or transfer ownership of unfinished and abandoned government structures across the country.
The team will look into projects from the last five years, said Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, who briefed the press alongside his colleagues, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Agriculture and Rural Development, Mahmud Mohammed, after the FEC meeting.
Agba explained that the FEC approved the creation of a data base of national capital projects Information System to track abandoned and uncompleted projects across the country.
He said the system, which will be headed by the Minister of Finance, will prioritize and fund selected projects on a yearly basis while also leaving open the possibility of privatizing some of the projects, repurposing some for alternative use or completely abandoning others.
The Minister said any decision on the identified projects will be determined by the outcome of investigations.
He also said FEC approved a contract for the construction of a new office block and parking lot worth over N14.8 billion for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Lagos.
Agba, said when completed, the office complex, which is to be located on 17b Awolowo Road, Lagos, will save the service about N4 billion that it usually pays on rented property.
He revealed that the 12-storey building will also alleviate the traffic problems that the old FIRS office causes in the area.
Council also approved for the purchase of property at Mumbai Estate, which is on Plot 21 Cadastral Zone E 23 for the Nigeria Customs Service’s residential accommodation at the sum of N14.405 billion.
He said: “So, the service intends to purchase an asset consisting of 274 housing units, which are categorized as follows: 128 units of three bedroom flats, 96 units of two bedroom flats, and 50 units of three bedroom terrace duplexes and this is in favor of Messrs Mobi Estate and Properties Limited, at the sum of N14.405 billion.
“This has to do with the welfare of the Customs officers. Provision of residential accommodation, like you know, is a major incentive for officers and men towards improving their efficiency and productivity. Some of these officers are currently residing in hotels, some stay back in their offices and we think that that is not too good enough.
“So, the service intends to purchase an asset consisting of 274 housing units, which are categorized as follows: 128 units of three bedroom flats, 96 units of two bedroom flats, and 50 units of three bedroom terrace duplexes and this is in favor of Messrs. Mobi Estate and Properties Limited, to the sum of N14.405 billion.”
Agba said the Council also approved for the Nigeria Customs Service and in favor of three companies: Messrs. Perkes Engineering Limited, Cosgrove Investment Limited and Tranquil Energy Limited, the purchase of laptops for training and CBT examinations for the Customs Cadets, construction of two numbers 30 rooms, male cadets hostels and one number 30 rooms, female cadets hostel at Customs Training College in Kano and for the supply of 703 laptop computers, with mouse for the training school.
He said Messrs Packets Engineering Ltd is to supply of 720 nos probook laptop for training and CBT examinations at the cost of N391,755,800.00.
Messrs Cosgrove Investment Ltd- Construction of 2 Nos 30 rooms Make cadets hostels and 1 no 30 troops female cadets hostel at Customs Training College, Kano at the cost of N794,341,905.48
Messes Tranquil Energy Ltd is to supply of 703 no probook laptop computers with mouse for training schools at the cost of N382,396,850.00.
The Council further approved the procurement of medical equipment and furniture for the ongoing construction of one of the prototype Aviation Medical Centers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Lai Mohammed, who briefed on behalf of the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said: “In other words, we are building Aviation Medical Centers in all the airports and this is the first prototype at Abuja and the contract was approved for the supply of medical equipment and furniture, to the tune of N1,000,684,789.32, with the delivery period of six months and the contractor is Tasodic Sodica Limited.”
