The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the sum of about N1.535 trillion under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Tax Credit Scheme for the construction and rehabilitation of 11 roads across the country.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this while briefing correspondents on the outcome of the council meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said over N1.5 trillion would be spent on the over 700 kilometres of roads linking 11 States in the country.
According to him, the benefiting states include Edo, Delta, Kano, Kaduna, Borno and Adamawa among others.
He said: “The Council gave approval for the construction and rehabilitation of 11 roads totaling 737.242 kilometers in the sum of N1, 535, 154, 247, 234.48 under phase II of the NNPC tax credit scheme.
“Recall that in January this year, the council approved a memo for the NNPC to invest N1.9 trillion on our roads. That amount was then about 44 roads that had been awarded and the balance of those roads that had to go through procurement between then and now are the 11 that have now been approved by the council.”
In his remarks, Minister of State , Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba, disclosed that the council approved the sum of N3.47billion for the purchase of surveillance caravan aircraft for the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS)
Agba noted that the caravan aircraft will be delivered in 12 months, noting that it will help to combat smuggling and provide surveillance.
He disclosed that FEC also approved augmentation of contract for the construction of offices and training center for Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) in Abuja and Lagos at cost of N46.141billion.
Also speaking the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said the FEC approved the granting of Nigerian citizenship to 385 foreign nationals residing in the country.
According to him, out of the figure, the council approved 317 of the applicants were granted citizenship by naturalization while 68 were granted by registration, adding that all the applicants met the requirements for such an honour.
The Minister stated: “Federal Executive Council at its meeting today approved the granting of Nigeria’s citizenship by naturalization to 317 applicants and Nigeria’s citizenship by registration to 68 applicants.
“Those granted citizenship have met all the constitutional and administrative requirements for the grant of Nigerian citizenship.”
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