By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

The Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday,  approved N1.4 billion contract for the design of the 12-floor building for Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.

Mrs. Winifred E. Oyo-Ita Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Chief of Staff, Mallam Abba Kyari, Boss Mustapha SGF, His Excellency Vice President Yemi Osinbajo SAN as His Excellency President Mohammadu Buhari GCFR presides over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting, Council Chambers State House Abuja. Wed. 13 March 2019

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of Federal Executive Council, FEC, a meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said: “FEC approved N1.4 billion for the design of DPR Head office in Abuja. The contract was awarded to Messers Arteck Practice Limited to design a 12-floor building in the land that is already allocated to DPR over the years by FCT to enable them to move their headquarters down here.”

He explained that the contract was awarded to DPR tenders board and that “their bid was the lowest, while the highest bid was about N3 billion, the next bid was N2m+  and then the third was about N1.4 billion.

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“The total projected potential cost for the building when it is done is about N35 billion. So if you look at that as a percentage of the work, it is absolutely insignificant, in international terms it is very justifiable, it is less than two per cent.”

Also, briefing journalists, Minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, said FEC approved the appointment of a contract of N1.5 billion for consultancy job.

He said: “We got approval from FEC to award a contract to engage a Programme Management Office Consultant and System Provider, for the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP at the cost of N1.556 billion.”

He explained that the contract which was for the provision of services for 4.6 million people, was a viable contract, noting that the programme has provided credit for over 1.5 million Nigerians.