By Johnbosco Agbakwuru,ABUJA
The Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Monday, approved N5.9 billion for the construction of access roads for the Abuja light rail system.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Minister explained that the President had set a timeline for the completion of the Abuja light rail project, emphasising the importance of preparing the access roads to the railway station.
According to him, “Today Council approved the award of contract for the construction of access roads for the Abuja light rail. You are aware that Mr. President has given the directive that he wants to ride on the metro line.
“Now it will not be possible if there are no access roads to commuters in communities around.”
The Minister said while the Federal Government approved three road projects in last week’s meeting, Monday’s approval concerns LOT 4 for communities around the airport and Abuja Hajj Camp.
“If you don’t create parks and access roads, it will be difficult. And so, the Council decided to approve this to MSSRS CCECC at a cost of N5.9bn.
“We believe that this access road being created and some car parks, we believe hopefully by next year most of us will be joining the metro line,” the Minister added.
Also briefing, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said that he presented a memo to the Council for approval on the coastal roads running from Lagos – Port Harcourt – Cross River.
He further stated that Council approved the construction of roads on the Trans-Sahara route, which runs from Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja to Cameroon. Another road project under phase 2, as well as the Badagry to Sokoto, were all approved for financing.
Umahi, who said the projects would be funded under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing model, argued that it was too early to place a contract sum on the projects, which is still in the works.
“Ministry of Works presented a memo for approval on the Coaster roads running from Lagos to Port Harcourt to Cross River and then one of the harvest roads to Trans-Sahara route, which is running from Enugu-—Abakaliki-Ogoja down to Cameroon is Africa Trans-Sahara, another road under phase 2 also from Badagry to Sokoto.
“So, it was approved to be into finance in a model of EPC + F that’s engineering, procurement, construction and then Plustv + Financing, and so counsel deliberated and approved and then directed the Minister of Finance expedite action on its part,” he noted.
The former Ebonyi state Governor said the next step would be the kick-off of feasibility studies and surveys to ascertain the cost of the project, among others.
“There are a lot of processes this will pass through and it’s not yet time to attach a cost to it. It is first to agree that it should be done. And secondly, you know this is the model of financing that should be adopted.
“So, now that we have gotten these two approvals, we’ll start work by investigation, surveying design, talking to the states and communities that may be affected and each time, we will be briefing the Federal Executive Council for their approval,” he added.
