By Daniel Idonor
ABUJA—The Federal Government has approved over N31 billion for various contracts for power projects, yesterday.

The weekly meeting the Federal Executive Council, FEC, which was presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo, had approved the amount for a total of nine different projects, following two separate memos brought to Council by the Minister of State for Power, Mr Nuhu Wya, who refused to stay behind to take questions from journalists.

The sum is to be spent on the execution of strategic power projects across the country in order to meet short and medium term power strategies of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

The naira component of the N31 billion meant for the acquisition of different power transmission equipment is N13.7 billion, the dollar components amount to $115.7 million, while the pound sterling component is put at £3 million.

Mr Nuhu Wya, apparently overjoyed by the huge presidential approval abandoned the post-FEC briefing, where he was expected to explain the technical details of the projects to the media.

His disposition is contrary to presidential orders where ministers are mandated by the president to attend all post-FEC briefings especially those whose memos were discussed at the meeting.

President Goodluck Jonathan had early this year gve a standing order that ministers whose projects were approved by council must wait behind to address State House Correspondents to avoid misinterpretation of technical details in the projects involving their ministries.

But in outright disobedience to FEC rules, Wya abandoned Professor Dora Akunyili, Minister of Information and Communications and her Minister of State counterpart, Mr Labaran Maku who laboured to read the press statement to journalists but refused to take questions, saying that she lacks technical details, as it was not her portfolio.

The Projects approved were the design, manufacturing and supply of two 300MVA 330/132/33KV power transformer with accessories and spare parts at a cost of $5.421 plus N168 million and design, manufacture and supply of four 100MVA 132/33 KV power transformers complete with accessories and recommended spares, at a cost of $2.927 million plus N88. 496 million.

Others are the engineering, procurement and construction of the 250 kilometres Benin North to Oshogbo 330kva double circuit transmission line and turning/turnout to New Akure sub-station at a cost of $33.455 plus N3. 796 billion. inclusive of a provisional sum of N1. 555 billion for right of way compensation, five per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on onshore payments and 10 per cent contingency, with a completion period of 24 months.

Council the minister stated also approved the engineering, procurement and construction of the 180 kilometres Kano to Katsina 330kva double circuit transmission line at a cost of $28.716 plus N2. 917 billion inclusive of a provisional sum of N1. 273 billion for right of way compensation, five per cent VAT on onshore payments and 10 per cent contingency with a completion period of 24 months.

She said the FEC also gave approval for the engineering, procurement and construction of the 135kms Omotosho to Epe to Aja 330kva double circuit transmission line at a cost of $24.650 US dollar plus N2.774 billion inclusive of a provisional sum of N1.147 for right of way compensation, five per cent VAT on onshore payment and 10 per cent contingency with a 24 months period for completion.

Finally, the council approved the engineering, procurement and construction of the two kilometres Kaduna to Mando 330kva double circuit transmission line in the sum of  3.095 million euro plus N590. 668 inclusive of a provisional sum of N213. 992 million for right of way compensation, five per cent VAT on onshore payments and 10 per cent contingency with a 12 months completion period.

In other memos, Akunyili said Council also approved the sum of N123 million for the procurement of 20 buses, including administrative charges/licensing to be delivered in three weeks.

There is a provision of N122.877 in the Ministry of Education’s 2010 budget for the purchase of monitoring vehicles for the Federal Inspectorate Services of the Federal Ministry of Education.

“Part of the mandate of the Ministry of Education is to ensure quality education delivery nationwide, and one of the ways the mandate is carried out is carried out is through regular inspection of schools below tertiary level, by the Inspectors at the Zonal and state Offices of the Federal Inspectorate Service (FIS). These offices are currently faced with a major challenge of lack of functional monitoring vehicles which had hampered the effective performance of their duties.

Council also approved the ward of contract for the construction of Mpape – Galuwyi/Shere Road in the Federal capital Territory (FCT) in the sum of N1.558 with a completion period of 18 months.

There is a provision of N750 million in the 2010 budget of the construction of the Mpape – Galuwyi/Shere Road.

According to the FCT administration, the construction of the Mpape- Galuwyi/Shere Road will serve as access to leading to Galuwyi/Shere Resettlement site and also serve as a link between the city and some of the agricultural production areas in the FCT.

Council after deliberation approved that Nigeria ratifies the African Charter on democracy, Election and Governance and direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to prepare the instrument of ratification for the President’s signature and process its deposition with the Secretariat of the African Union in Addis Ababa.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the African Charter on democracy, Election and Governance was adopted at the 8th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on January 30, 2007.

“Part of the Charter’s objectives are to promote the principle of the rule of law and the holding of regular, free and fair elections to institutionalize democratic change of government.

The Ministry said Nigeria, being a strong promoter of the principle of the Rule of Law and democratic change of governance, having signed the Charter, needs to ratify it and deposit the instrument of ratification early.