By Egena Sunday Ode
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) Wednesday approved N8.39 billion to as augmentation for the completion of a section of the Sokoto-Makera Road, which traverses Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger states.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola disclosed this after the FEC meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Fashola said that the firm executing the 185 kilometre long project, CRCC Construction Company, requested for the contract augmentation owing to sundry factors.
“The Ministry of Works and Housing presented one memorandum to Council. It was for the augmentation of the contract for Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Makera Road. The portion covering 185 kilometres awarded to CRCC Construction Company.
“The company is seeking an augmentation of the contract sum by N8.39 billion, which was approved and the reason was for price changes, essentially, between 2012, when the contract was awarded, and now.
“Materials and costs have changed and also the scope of works of the 85 kilometres of of the road has to be changed now from rehabilitation to reconstruction because it has deteriorated from when it was awarded 12 years ago. So Council approve this.
“Just for your information, there are two sections of the road because it comes all the way from Sokoto to Makera. The first section is awarded to Triacta, that section is 296 kilometres and we’ve completed it just recently.
“The entire 296 kilometres is now motorable. About 100 kilometres of the second section, which is the subject of augmentation, from Yauri to Makera, has been completed so we just have 85 kilometres to go,” the Minister said.
