The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of N6.17 billion for augmentation of the contract for the construction of Ikot-Ekpene border-Aba-Owerri Road, Section 1, Phase 1.
Alh. Mustapha Shehuri, the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Shehuri said that the contract was awarded in 2012, but the augmentation had to come following some observations by the contractor.
“FEC has given approval for the augmentation of the contract for construction of Ikot-Ekpene border-Aba-Owerri Road, Section 1, Phase 1 and the length is 11.26km.
“The contract was awarded in 2012 to Arab Contractors at the cost of N3.78bn; it came up for augmentation because the contractor actually observed some failures in the contract around some sections of the road.
“Actually, it is a one lane, but with the augmentation now, it will be dualised; the contract period is 12 months and the cost after augmentation is now N6.17 billion,’’ he said.
On her part, Hajia Aisha Abubakar, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, said that FEC had also approved the revised estimated total cost for the completion of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development Headquarters in Abuja.
Abubakar said that the building was initially conceived to be the National Children’s Library and Resource Centre which was approved in 2006.
The minister, however, said that the design was contrary to the guidelines of the Abuja Master Plan which stipulated that the development of the Central Business District should have a minimum of five suspended floors.
“Therefore, we had to make a request for the revised estimate to redesign to comply with the FCT Master Plan and got approval to convert it to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development headquarters.
“So, today, we got approval in the total sum of N851.6m revising the project from the initial approval of N1.79m,’’ she said.