ABUJA (SundiataPost) – The Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, has approved N3.341 million for the award of contract for the supply and installation of a full Jet-Flight Simulator (5000 Series B737) with complete accessories for the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria to be located at the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the overseeing Minister of Information, Nurudeen Mohammed, in company of the ministers of Aviation, Osita Chidoka; Niger Delta, Stephen Oru and overseeing Minister of Health, Dr. Khaliru Al-Hassan, said the project would serve a dual purpose of a training facility for the college and a source of revenue generation for the country.
Chidoka said in addition, the college is being used for the initial training of students as it would enjoy the patronage of the commercial airliners in Nigeria and the West African coast in the recurrent training of their jet-airliner pilots in compliance with the ICAO and NCAA regulations that pilots must have refresher training every six months.
“The project will be funded from the sum of N3.341 million provided in the 2014 Appropriation of the Ministry for the “Procurement of Simulator” for the NCAT Zaria, while the balance will come from the NCAT’s 2015 Budget.
“Council approved the award of contract for the supply and installation of a Full Jet-Flight Simulator (5000 Series B737) with complete accessories for the NCAT Zaria to be located at MMIA Lagos in favour of Messrs. CAE, Canada in the sum of $21.459 million inclusive of all taxes payable at the prevailing exchange rate at the time of payment with a completion period of 24 months”.
The Minister of Niger Delta, Oru said council approved the award of contract for the construction of phase 1, section V of the East West road, beginning from Uyo/ Oron roundabout in Akwa Ibom State to Calabar – Odukpani road in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, in favour of Messrs China Civil Engineering and Construction Company( CCECC) in the sum of N165,249,125,989.16 with a completion period of five years.
According to him, “The benefits to be derived from the extension of the East-West road are enormous as it will greatly reduce travel time from Oron, which the end section IV of the East- West road to Calabar from 3 hours to 30 minutes. It will also reduce vehicle operating costs, opening up access to various riverine communities and the proposed Ibaga Seaport. In addition, there will be increase in economic activities that will be generated as well as creating employment opportunities for over 1,500 skilled and unskilled workers, including engineers, technicians and artisans”.
Oru also said Council approved the award of contract for the supervision of construction of Calabar-Oba-Nsan-Okoroba-Ajasor road (Section 1) in Cross River State and construction of road/drainage at Mbaise Ring Road intersecting Owerri-Umahia road in Imo State.
The projects, he said upon completion will enhance the spread of infrastructure development across the entire Niger Delta region. Council approved the award of the two contracts for the supervision of the projects in favor of the two companies, Messrs. Siraj (Nig) Limited, for supervision of the construction of Calabar-Oban-Nsan-Ajasor road ( section) in Cross River in the sum of N106,407,242.51 with a completion period of 24 months.
Messrs Reset Consult was awarded the contract for the supervision of the construction of the Mbaise Rind Road intersecting Owerri-Umahia Road in Imo State in the sum of N106,407,242.51 with a completion period of 24 months.
Council also approved the Revised Estimated Total Cost (RETC) 2 for the East-West Road Project, Sections I and II (Sub-Sections II-I and II-II) in the sum of N23, 484,369,831.99 inclusive of all taxes in favour of Messers Sectraco (Nigeria) Limited with a completion period of 7 months.
He said this became necessary as a result of rising costs of critical construction materials, plants, localised taxes, spiral effect of inflation etc which has reached an unbearable level over the yeas such that the subsisting unit rates could no longer sustain.
Oru said there is a budgetary provision of N52.7billion for East West road (sections I & II ) in 2014 which is made up of N18.5billion from the main line budget, N21billion SURE-P budget and N13.3billion AFDB loan.