The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday in Abuja approved N20.8 billion for the rehabilitation of Ikorodu – Shagamu road and N4.2 billion for the procurement of aviation firefighting equipment.­

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the disclosure when he briefed State House correspondents alongside the Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika and Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on the outcome of the council’s meeting.

The meeting held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Mohammed stated that the rehabilitation of the Ikorodu – Shagamu road when completed would reduce travel time and operating cost for transporters and commuters, enhance the movement of petroleum and agricultural products and also facilitate other commercial activities.

“On behalf of Minister of Power, Works and Housing, l will also brief you that FEC approved the rehabilitation of Ikorodu – Shagamu road in Lagos State at the sum of N20, 845,336. 214.

“The significance of the award of this contract is that it will reduce road accidents and loss of lives.

“Of course, it will reduce travel time and operating cost for transporters and commuters, and more importantly, it will enhance the movement of petroleum and agricultural products and also facilitate other commercial activities.

“If you remember, Mosinmi, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) depot is along that line.”

The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the aviation firefighting equipment would be installed at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, saying the equipment was critical for the aviation industry.

He explained that due to the absence of the equipment, Nigeria had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to train its personnel in neighbouring African countries.

“Today, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) considered a memo from Ministry of Transportation (Aviation) and the purpose of that memo was to award contract for the design, manufacture and installation of fully automated Fire and Smoke Aircraft Training Simulator in Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria

“The total contract sum is 4,233, 756,074.85 and the council graciously considered and approved the request.

“This firefighting equipment is extremely very important because when we came into government in 2015 I found myself approving several hundreds of thousands of dollars for our firefighters to go into Cameroun and get train or get their proficiency training to come back and serve,’’ he said.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed that the council equally approved the construction of the Faculty of Law structure at the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom at N873 million.

“The Ministry of Education today just presented a memo on the building of faculty of law structure in University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom and it has been approved. It will enable the university to house the faculty of law on it main campus and then provide office spaces.’’

Similarly the Ministry of State for Labour and Employment, Steven Ocheni, who presented the ministry’s scorecard since November 2015 before the council, said thousands of youth have been trained by the National Directorate of Employment.

According to him, the ministry also succeeded in resolving numerous industrial actions in the period under review.

“At the Council today, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment presented its status report on the activities of the Ministry from 2015 to date.

“We looked at different regulations that have been put in place by this administration.

“(We) now looked at the Employee Compensation Act, this is a committee that is ongoing and of course under a different regulation particularly the driving at work regulation jobs of up to about 15,000 unemployed Nigerians or graduates that likely to be employed if this regulation comes into effect.

“The committee that works in the employee compensation act is about to round off and in a very short while the report of this committee will be made public.

“Then we have the youth employment scheme under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, this is anchored by the National Directorate of Employment where unemployed graduates are taught how to be self-sustaining not all about looking for white collar jobs.

“For instance, each state of the federation is given an opportunity to have up to minimum of 2000 employment for unemployed graduates,’’ he added.

(NAN)