The Federal Executive Council (FEC), on Monday approval a total of N147 billion for road projects across the country.

Dave Umahi, Minister of Works stated this while briefing State House Journalists, after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which was presided over by President Bola Tinubu, at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa , Abuja

He said that FEC approved the award of contract for the dualization of Odupani-Itu-Idedem Item and Ikot Ekepene road in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States at the total cost of N55 billion in favour of Decon Construction Nigeria limited.

Ahead of the rainy season, the Council also approved the award of contract for the dualization of Ibadan-Ilorin road section two, which is in Ogbomosho in Oyo state. He had asked questions about this road.

He stated that the 147 kilometers road project was approved to be constructed using reforced concrete pavement.

The Council also approved the completion of outstanding 82 kilometres, section of the section two of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano roads, that’s 82 kilometres by two, that’s 164 kilometers.

The project was awarded at N507 billion. The last one was the construction of a flyover at Abakpa bordering 82 division Enugu. A flyover was to be constructed to relieve the traffic jam in the area, while the contractor is CCECC and the amount is N24 billion.

Umahi stated that InfoWest Company, won the contract to complete the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano section two, the contractor is currently doing section one and three.

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Umahi also used the opportunity to correct the impression created in the Senate that alluded to the fact that more projects were approved in the South than in the North.

“Let me correct that impression, because I’m not qualified to write to the senate president to correct it. But the fact remains that it is the memo that comes to FEC that is approved.

“Sometimes a memo can be in favour of a particular region or a particular zone, or so and so forth. So our briefing here should not be taken as if we are bringing projects in an inequitably form.

“You know, a project may go to BPP and they are processing it is but is not…like today, We have a total of N507 billion, and that is for Abuja-Kano section. And of course, in my own zone, we have only N24 billion”, he said.

He explained that the So the President is committed to completing all the inherited projects. “And in any case, most of the projects we come here to announce are inherited projects, and that is the hat the President is continuing. And if you go back to look at the inherited projects, they were not even equitably distributed by the last administration, but the President did not mind he the still continues, all of them.

Speaking further on the Lidokpani road, Umahi stated that “the entire section from Akwa Ibom cutting through this Odukani, where we have the power plant, and then ending at Cross River.

“There are three sections that we inherited. One is being handled by th CCECC, that’s the first one coming from Akwa Ibom. The second one is Berger was handling, about 27 kilometers, and then, they now went onto Cross River, and then had about 17 kilometers, and then you had the last one, which is being handled by another contractor.

“So when we came on board, there was a need to review all the projects. And so whereas the two other contractors, CCECC and the other contractor accepted the review, Berger insisted that the project should be reviewed up to me over N100 billion and that warranted us terminating it, that project is being reprocured through selective competitive bidding. And this record won it N55 billion, as against the N100b requested for by Berger”, he noted.