This Day (Lagos)
Juliana Taiwo
9 July 2009
Abuja — The Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday awarded N5.2 billion worth of contracts for procurement of fire fighting equipment for the nation's airports and for furnishing of the new official complex of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Briefing State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting, Minister of Information and Communications, Prof Mrs. Dora Akunyili, along with Minister of Aviation, Mr Babatunde Omotola and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bagudu Hirse, said the sum include a total of N1.251 billion, being $7,451, 419.00 million counterpart funding and N163, 459,691.75 for the fire fighting equipment and a total of N3, 963,997,027.20 for the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex.
Akunyili said the Council "approved a memo for the award of contract for the supply of nine E-One force-p711 (6x6) triple Agent Airport Fire Crash Tenders for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAN).
"Council had considered but differed the memorandum on the above subject matter, with a directive that the Ministry of Aviation should liaise with the Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), to procure the equipment direct from the manufacturers. The manufacturers were contacted as directed, and since the current administration is determined to ensure that Nigeria meets all international requirements that would guarantee safety and security not only at its airports, but in all arms of the aviation industry, Council considered and approved the contract as requested. And the manufacturers affirmed representatives and sole representative in Nigeria, Messrs Praise Resources Ltd, were awarded the contract in the sum of $7,451, 419.00million plus N163, 459,691,.75million with a completion period of 11 months."
Also speaking, Omotola said apart from the nine fire fighting vehicles approved for procurement by the Council, additional nine are also expected from the World Bank, while additional one is to be procured for the use of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.
He said approval of the procurement and previous awards show that "the Yar'Adua administration is making giant strides towards aviation safety. And the Nigerian airspace is safer than it used to be."
He said the total radar coverage for Nigeria by the end of the year is on course, as the equipment for Lagos and Abuja are already on the ground, while that of Kano has arrived the ports awaiting clearance in two weeks.
He said for equipment for other total coverage bases to arrive on time, discussions are on with the Minister of Defence, Dr Shettima Mustafa, for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) C-130 Transport Hercules to airlift them back to Nigeria.
Omotola said by the time all the equipment arrive and are installed, the Ministry "will sign the maintenance agreement with manufacturers and also send our people for training (on the maintenance).
Already, he said 46 Nigerians have already undergone training on operation of the total radar equipment in the United States of America.
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