Another banquet hall to be built for Jonathan

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Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja bureau chief

At a time many Nigerians are complaining about government’s profligacy, the Federal Government announced on Wednesday that it is going to build a new Presidential Banquet Hall in Abuja. This was one of the highlights of the meeting of Federal Executive Council today. Senator Bala Mohammed, minister of Federal Capital Territory told journalists that Banquet Hall would be executed at the cost of N2.2 billion.

The contract for the construction of the new 150-seater Banquet Hall was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc for security reasons. He also announced that contracts for resurfacing of some selected existing roads and remedial works on bridges in Garki and Wuse 1 Districts at the cost N2.78 billion have also been awarded.
The Presidential Villa already has a banquet which hosts important state functions. But the new hall will be located near the residence of the President.

“The second project approved by council is the building of 150-seater Banquet Hall in the Presidential Villa. We notice that it is inconvenient. It is not in tandem with what is outside the country, even smaller countries have better Banquet Halls near the Presidential residence and of course part of the things we are going to provide there is 150-seater with all the facilities that will cover the work ways, security, hall conveniences, technical room and press briefing room that is more and more enhanced so that National Broadcast can be done from there and it is at the cost of N2.2 billion giving to Julius Berger because they are more familiar with the terrain in the Presidential Villa and for security reasons,” said Bala.

Other contracts announced today include the purchase of two sets of five-car Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) each with the capacity of 540 passengers and an additional six 60 seater passenger coaches to be used for intra city mass transit services.

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The total contract is in the sum of N4.3 billion and with a completion period of 13 months.

Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar told journalists that the procurement of the new coaches is further demonstration of President Goodluck Jonathan commitment to the resuscitation of the railway system.

He added that government will get additional supply of locomotives when the eastern corridor of the railtrack- Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, is fully rehabilitated.

Contract for consultancy services for the residence supervision of the construction of inland river port at Jamata- Lokoja also received the approval of the council. The contract was awarded at a sum of N121, 114,875 with a completion period of seven weeks.

The council also approved the sum of N189.7 million for the supply of radiation and explosive detection devices to be used by the Nigerian Ports Authority and another contract for the supply of anti-Tuberculosis drugs worth N297.87 million. The drugs according to Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu is capable of treating 500 Nigerians multi-drug resistant cases. The council also approved for the health ministry the purchase of vaccines worth $2.10 million (N333 million) for routine immunisation which has since 2006 been supplied through UNICEF for safety reasons.

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