FEC approves five contracts for UNIZIK
The federal government says it is making available to UNIZIK the sum of N2.1 billion to augment the contract, which the university awarded between 2007 and 2015, but was unable to complete.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the augmentation of five contracts at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, briefed State House correspondents on behalf of the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, after the FEC meeting on Wednesday in Abuja.
The council meeting was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Mr Mohammed said the significant thing about the contracts was that they were awarded by the university (UNIZIK) itself; “some in 2007, some in 2010, some in 2012 and some in 2015.”
He said due to the inability of the university (UNIZIK) to execute the projects for reasons ranging from lack of funding to other sundry reasons, it appealed to the federal government to help complete the contracts.
“The contract, which was then awarded at the sum of N2.5 billion due to contract variation, cost of materials has now been jacked up to N4.6 billion.
“In other words, the federal government is making available to the university the sum of N2.1 billion to augment the contract, which it awarded between 2007 and 2015, but was unable to complete.
“The five contracts are the construction of students’ hostels, Type D, at Awka, which was augmented in the sum of N120 million; construction of students’ hostel, Type A, at Nnewi, for which we have to provide an extra N385 million.
“Construction students hostel, Type A, Awka; also, here we’ve provided an extra N104 million and then construction of Faculty Building for Physical Science and Biosciences in the sum of N1.2 billion, raising the contract sum from the original N983 million to N2.243 billion.
Finally, construction and completion of min-stadium complex in favour of another contractor, which we had to augment with the sum of N510 million.’’
The minister said the contracts were accommodated under the Needs Assessment–an intervention fund that the Federal Ministry of Education made available to assist the educational institutions all over Nigeria.
Mr Mohammed said the Federal Ministry of Education presented another memo for approval for the procurement of a landed property for the residence of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State.
“This is a very short memo, which actually sought council’s approval to provide accommodation for the vice chancellor; and of course, it means the university was purchasing a property in Dutse, which will serve as the official accommodation of the vice chancellor.
“After due process has been observed, including whether the seller has title and whether it was adequately covered by Certificate of Occupancy, council approved that a property be purchased for the sum of N161 million, inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT.
“It comes with the delivery period of two weeks for the official residence of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Dutse, Jigawa State.’’
Mr Mohammed said that Minister of Communication, Isa Pantami, also presented a memo.
He said the memo sought council’s approval for the award of contract for the provision of project management services for the implementation of the Local Area Network infrastructure, upgrade project in identified ministries, departments and agencies.
The minister said the contract was in the sum of N847, 000, inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT, and this is to be delivered within a period of 12 months.
Mr Mohammed said the council had already, through an intervention project, approved money for the upgrade of infrastructure of the Land Area Networks.
According to him, the purpose of the upgrade is to improve Nigeria’s communication infrastructure between ministries, departments and agencies of government.
SOURCE: PREMIUM TIME
