Aminat Yahaya —
The Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, yesterday at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided by the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, approved N28.1 billion for the augmentation of roads and other infrastructure in Wasa district of Abuja.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, said the gathering also approved N2.044 billion for the construction of internal roads and facilities at the gas hub in Bayelsa State.
Fielding questions on when rehabilitation of the refineries would be completed, the minister stated: “The rehabilitation of the refineries is ongoing. As we said earlier, the old refinery in Port Harcourt, which does about 60,000 barrels per day capacity, will be functional by December end. Of course, we still have some time in the contracting time to conclude the rest of the Port Harcourt refineries. Works on the Kaduna and Warri refineries are also progressing very well. We will soon be embarking on an inspection visit.”
Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said FEC equally sanctioned the contract for local manufacture of COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with Bio Vaccine Limited.
According to him, Bio Vaccine Limited, which is commencing production at the expiration of the subsidies expected from GAVI in 2028, has 49 per cent Federal Government investment.
He added that Nigerians have begun training in South Africa, South Korea and India to ensure technology transfer ahead of the planned production of vaccines.
FEC also resolved to order buyers of two seized properties in Lagos to pay the government the cost of the prevailing price in 2001 when they were purchased.
This came following a memo presented by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to council, where he revealed that government was shortchanged in properties confiscated by officials of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The minister said the properties, a four-bedroom bungalow on Adeniyi Jones Lagos and another five-bedroom duplex on Amadasun Street in GRA, Ikoyi, Lagos, sold for N2 million and N5 million, were seized by the NDLEA in the course of narcotic prosecution.
He stated that government now wants the buyers to pay N18 million for the bungalow and N21 million for the five-bedroom duplex being the cost at which they were valued in 2001.
