FEC approves N1.8bn for Railway village rehabilitation

The Federal Executive Council has approved another N1.8bn for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of buildings at the Agbo Railway Village in Delta State.

The approval was made at the second FEC meeting held in the week, which ended on Thursday night.

The session was presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday presided over the first FEC meeting for the week.

Another approval made by FEC was the sum of N743m for the procurement of security and safety equipment for the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

Speaking with State House Correspondents on Thursday night, the Minister of State for Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika explained that the procurement would commence and be completed within 12 months.

He also said another N391.8m was approved for the procurement of pavement marking machines.

Sirika spoke more on the safety equipment, “This is a visual aid for pilots for safe operations around our airports.”

He added that €1.1m was approved for the purchase of a total radar coverage track-on system reconditioning.

The minister explained, “This contract went to the manufacturer of the equipment for 1, 187, 960, 000 Euros, equivalent to N414, 543, 760.23, excluding taxes and it is for seven months’ completion.”

The Federal Capital Territory also benefited from the FEC approvals as it got N2.6bn for various contracts in the FCT, including the “provision of an access road to link very key anterior roads in the Central Business District, that is Ahmadu Bello Way and Sani Abacha Way, all in the FCT, in the sum of N670, 347, 909 with a completion period of six months.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of the FCT, Mr Mohammed Bello, defended the demolition of a night club, Caramelo Lounge, by the FCDA’s Department of Development Control.

The building was pulled down on Monday on the grounds of operating as a night club in a residential area.

The police had also arrested strippers at the club.

Bello defended the demolition, claiming that it was the last resort after the owner breached building regulations.

He noted that while the original approval was for a clinic, the owner converted it into a night club for strippers.

Bello spoke further, “I am quite interested also with the way I see the feedback from the wider community.

“I have had cause to discuss with many of your colleagues (journalists) where many people felt that this minister (Bello) has not been demolishing.

“As a matter of fact, he is not demolishing so he is not working’ – it is due process, my brother.

“If you check the record, you will be surprised how long it took to reach that painful decision of having to demolish that building.

“As a matter of fact, all the regulations were there – that property is no longer owned, it has been reverted to the government because it is very clear. Check any C-of-O, you will see the conditions.”

“If there is a flagrant abuse and there are no efforts to correct that abuse, it reverts back to the government.

“But I want you to rest assured that for every demolition you see, maybe a hundred were saved.”