Federal government has approved multi-billion naira contracts to boost power supply in Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari's hometown in Katsina State, Yobe State and other parts of the country.
The minister of power, Engr Abubakar Aliyu, disclosed this to State House correspondents yesterday after the federal executive council meeting presided over by President Buhari.
Aliyu said, "Council approved award of contract for the engineering procurement, construction and financing on the implementation of 330 KV and 132 kV line transmission lines and 33 KV, 11 KV and 400 PE distribution line project under phase 1 of the presidential power initiatives in favour of two contractors in the sum total of $581,629,355.93, inclusive of 7.5 percent, at the prevailing exchange rate with period of completion 36 months as indicated.
"The recipient companies for lot one, from DL from Benin and Enugu DISCOS, Messes SLD electric. Then, Lot DM 3 Abuja, Jos, Kano, Kaduna DISCOS, Messes China civil engineering construction corporation totalling a distance of around 13,000 kilometers for the two LOT and it has been graciously approved by council."
The minister also explained that, "Council approved the award of contract for the construction of 750 kilowatts solar PV power plant at the headquarters of the where TCN is also situated in favor of Proserv Energy Services Limited in the sum of N1.6 billion inclusive of 7.5 percent VAT with completion period of six months."
He said, "Council also approved routine maintenance for the Transmission Company of Nigeria. The council approved a contract for the upgrading of the substation in Potiskum town in Yobe State with a 132- power transformer.
"It is an existing substation, which has been there for a very long time with only one transformer and it serves a lot of areas around Potiskum, it is the largest town in the state with a very huge population and is the hub for commerce and transportation.
"So, with this upgrade, Potiskum will become a hub for electricity transmission and distribution.
"The other component of it is the line bringing additional lines from Damaturu. Before now, the line was coming from Gombe, which is over 200 kilometers. It is a 132 single line coming into Potiskum to power the substation.
"So, having now 330 substitutes in Damaturu, that makes it easier and more prudent to take electricity from Damaturu to Potiskum over a distance of 120 kilometres.
Because the longer you take the electricity on a 132 line, you get low quality of electricity.
"So, with the 132 from Gombe single line and now this proposed one coming from Damaturu to Potiskum, you will have double circuit and with an additional transformer of 132 cable, that is one by 60 MB. The second one on that memo is construction of two by 60 MBA and 132 line transmission substation at Sapade in Ogun State and in favor of Messes VNK international technologists at the total cost of a foreign component $10.2 million and local component of N3.3 billion naira. The third one is the supply and installation of 33 KV substation equipment at Emirate Katsina state, in favor of Ease Power Deal Construction limited in the sum of N4 billion."
Meanwhile, the minister of women affairs, Pauline Tallen, said FEC approved Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy to help get women into the mainstream of financial plans and to ensure that they were carried along in nation building.
Also, the attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, said the cabinet also approved the regularisation of the Public Private Partnership arrangement between the Federal Ministry of Justice and Lexis of South Africa for the publication of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
Malami said that the judgement for P&ID case in the UK would be delivered any moment from now.
He said the contract was reviewed to accommodate technological development as well as application and operation of the ICRC Act as it relates to public private partnership.
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Malami said the council also approved the operationalization and deployment of the federal government contracts administration system.
He said it is a digitalised arrangement to ensure that the interest of the federal government was not compromised in the art of drafting contracts.
The minister added that the council approved the renewal of the implementation of public private partnership arrangement between the Federal Ministry of Justice and Messrs Jeffreps Integrated Services Limited for the publishing and marketing of the Court of Appeal specialized law reports.
"But this time around we are taking into consideration the new innovations with particular reference to the public private partnership arrangement which has not been the tradition before. And then the ICRC Act, which has not been in existence, and new innovation associated with technology, to have them accommodated in the contract going forward.
"Law reform is a compendium of the judgments of the Court of Appeal over time," the minister stated.
