FEC Approves N14.7bn For New Federal Secretariats

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has  approved the construction of a Federal Secretariat complex each in six states.

The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, who announced the plan after the FEC meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, said the project would cost N14.7 billion.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, which lasted for more than seven hours, Maku listed the benefiting states as Anambra, Bayelsa, Gombe, Nasarawa, Osun and  Zamfara.

He said that Council approved the construction of the secretariats to ease the coordination of Federal Government activities in the states, which hitherto had no Federal Secretariat complexes.

The Minister of Land and Housing, Ms. Amal Pepple, who also spoke on the issue, said that 13 states do not have Federal Secretariats.

She said out of the 13 states without secretariats, the Council approved the construction of Federal Secretariats, one each in the six geo-political zones..

“There are federal officers in each state of the federation and if you do not have a secretariat there, it means people renting houses and which make their job difficult. This will also bring Federal presence closer to the people. ’’

Makualso said that FEC approved the sum of N9.7 billion for the rehabilitation of  the 77km Enugu-Abakaliki Road .

He said that the sum of N6.3 billion was also approved for the rehabilitations of Ogoja Junction to Ikom Road in Cross River.

Makusaid Council also approved N1.8 billion for the upgrade and replacement of obsolete navigational and landing aids equipment in five international airports.

He said the five airports: Enugu, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja and Ilorin, would also be provided with 696 numbers of heat proximity clothing for their fire fighters.

The minister said FEC also approved N3.8 billion contract for the repair of Goronyo Dam in Sokoto State.