The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved N3.11bn for contracts in the Ministries of Education and Communication and Digital Economy. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the weekly virtual FEC meeting, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the First Lady’s Conference Room, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Mohammed, who spoke on behalf of the ministers of education, Adamu Adamu, and communication and digital economy, Dr Isa Pantami, said both ministers presented three memoranda.
According to him, the Ministry of Education’s memoranda sought approval to purchase an official residence for the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, as well as funding to augment the execution of five projects at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State.
He said, “The Ministry of Education presented two memos today. One was for the approval for the procurement of a landed property for the residence of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State.
According to him, the Ministry of Education’s memoranda sought approval to buy an official residence for the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University at Dutse in Jigawa State, at N161,250,000 million, inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT, with the delivery period of two weeks, as well as funding to augment the execution of five projects at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University at Awka in Anambra State.
“The contract, which was then awarded for N2,513,991,695, due to contract variation, cost of materials, etc, has now been jacked up to N4.6 billion. In other words, the Federal Government is making available to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University the sum of N2.1 billion to augment the contract, which they awarded between 2007 and 2015, which you were unable to complete, he said.
Also, Mohammed said the FEC approved N847,502,000 for the award of a contract for digital interconnectivity among identified ministries and other agencies of government through the Local Area Network (LAN).
“The Minister of Communication presented a memo today and that memo was to seek Council’s approval for the award of contract for the provision of project management services for the implementation of the Local Area Network infrastructure, upgrade project, in identified MDAs in favour of Knowledge Resources Limited for N847,502,000, inclusive of 7.5 per cent VAT and this is to be delivered within a period of 12 months,” he said.
FEC also approved 14-day paternity leave for Federal civil servants to allow them bond with their infants.
Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF), Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, announced this after the week’s virtual FEC meeting.
The HoSF explained that the paternity leave initiative is one of the introductions to the newly reviewed Public Service Rules (PSR), which were just approved by FEC, which she said was revised last in 2008. She said the Federal Government put everything into the review to arrive at the current rules.
According to her, the 2008 version had 16 chapters while the 2021 version has 17 chapters.
