The Federal Executive Council has approved the establishment of an oxygen production plant in each of the 36 States of the country, worth N5.6 billion.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed disclosed this while briefing State House Correspondents at the end of this week’s cabinet meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Mohammed, who briefed on behalf of his Ministry of Health counterpart, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said: “The Minister of Health presented a memo, which was approved, for the emergency supply, installation and maintenance of oxygen production plants and construction of plant houses in each of the 36 States of the federation and Abuja.
“The contract was approved in the sum of N5, 615, 127, 479 inclusive of 7.5 percent VAT, in favour of four different companies, with a completion period of 20 weeks.”
He said the approval was to cushion the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, which has made oxygen a very critical commodity.
Lai Mohammed also informed Journalists that the council approved the sum of N1. 1 billion for the procurement of aviation security uniforms and accessories for use in various airports across the country.
He said: “Minister of Aviation got approval for the award of a contract for direct procurement for the design, manufacture and supply of aviation security uniforms and accessories. The sum total is N1, 127, 945. The unique thing about uniforms for the aviation industry is that it has some International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards that would be followed.”
The Information Minister further disclosed that the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs also got an approval of N864.7 million for two road contracts that were abandoned by previous administrations.
“The Minister of Niger Delta got approval for Okpula-Igwartanta Phase I linking Imo and Rivers State, started in 2010. He got an approval for a variation of N620, 763, 000. He also got approval for erosion flood control on Ndemili-Utagba-Onitsha road in Delta State, started in 2014. The council today approved N244 million to augment the original contract sum,” he explained.
PIAK
