By Egena Sunday Ode
The Federal Government on wednesday justified dishing out approvals for multi-billion naira contracts, insisting that it remains at the helm of affairs and will continue to work until the last day in office.
This explanation followed the announcement of multiple contracts awards by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja wich considered 37 agenda items in a marathon session.
The break down of the approvals given for contracts in various sectors included; Transportation-N12,639,770; Sports-N8.4 billion; Aviation-N3,849,,9 billion; Ogoni projects: N129.8 billion; FCT: N132.9 billion and IRS building purchase in Abuja/PH-N10 billion.
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, who spoke ro newsmen described Wednesday’s session as quite extraordinary, saying: “It’s been a very long day for everyone, 37 agenda items were considered for today’s meeting. Quite extraordinary.”
Fielding questions on why the administration had waited till late hour before it is hurriedly churning out sundry contracts, the Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, said that the administration will continue to perform its duties to May 28.
He said: “Ladies and gentleman, without any intentions of mischief, this government was elected to function from 2019 to precisely 29th of May 2023. Should we now stop functioning one month before the next appointment because we’re coming to the end of the tenure?
“This government must work. We expect the next government to also work until the very last day of their tenure.”
Also speaking, Minister of Water Resources, Sulaiman Adamu, explained that contract processes take time, saying that even if the administration cannot finish what it has started, government being a continuum, it will be be the business of the incoming government.
He said: “If I may add, there are processes and this process have started. We’re still operating the 2022 budget, we have agencies. These things are not just done in one day. We had lots of submissions to BPP to ICRC, all the agencies involved in the procurement, and they have to get ready.
“So, anytime they’re ready, it’s at that point that we have to submit. And like the Minister of Transportation said, we’re still in office technically until the 28th of May.
So, we still have to operate. And this is the instruction that we have from Mr. President.
Since the elections were conducted, government must continue to function regardless of elections and so on. And so we’re just doing our duty as we should serve in the country.
“We do not control the process, but when it’s completed and we’re still in office, we’re duty-bound to bring these memos to Council for Council to approve. Government is a continuum. There are still a lot of memos.
“I can assure you a lot of contracts will not see the light of day in the next one week or two. And for those, we don’t have any option but to let the process continue. And then for the next government to come and continue. That’s what we face also.
“Some of the very first memos we brought to council in 2015, for me, I had no idea when they started, but I had to be briefed on, this was the the way that it had to be and then we were brought in here. So, government is a continuum. And it should be seen as such.
“And I think this administration should be given that full credit because, to a large extent, we have continued since 2015, to implement projects and programs that we didn’t initiate that which, in our assessment, were good for the country. We continued them, we didn’t jettison them, and we’re confident that the incoming administration will do the same.”
Council also approved two major contracts were approved for Ogoniland.
Giving break down of the approvals, Shehu said “You know Ogoni is one of the flagships of the Buhari administration. And you’re aware the whole world is watching Nigeria. There is water project that have been awarded under the second phase in Ogoniland amounting to N22.8 billion.”
The Spokesman said “Approval was also given for the contract for the remediation of the newly identified hydrocarbon impacted cites along the shorelines of Ogoniland, and this is for about N107 billion.
Meanwhile, the federal Capital Territory (FCT) also got a number of approvals including contract for the full scope development of the Shehu Shagari way for N91 billion, “rehabilitation of Rubochi township roads and upgrading of Rubochi-Gwagwada road about N5.7 billion.”
Council also approved N1.6 billion contract for the construction of 3.2km road leading to Kwali bridge in Kwali Area Council in the FCT.
Another FCT contract was for the revised estimated cost for the provision of engineering infrastructure at Guzape District plot II of the FCT at the contract sum is N28 billion.
