FEC approves N658m for deployment of dogs in Lagos, Abuja airports

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N658 million for the deployment of sniffer dogs at Lagos and Abuja international airports.

The council gave the approval during the weekly meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, while speaking with reporters after the council meeting, said four memoranda was approved for the ministry totalling N16,697,742,839.

According to him, the projects to be executed in the contracts include construction of Wachakal Airport in Yobe State at N6.3 billion; post-construction services for the same airport at the cost of N219.8 million. It also includes the procurement of eight airport rescue and firefighting vehicles at the cost of N9.5 billion; and a contract for the deployment of sniffer dogs to the Lagos and Abuja international airports at the cost of N658.8 million.

“FEC approved four memoranda from civil aviation. One of it is the approval for the construction of Wachakal Airport in Yobe State and at the contract sum of N6,284,065,056,” he said.

“Even and in our drive to develop the sector and ensure connectivity within our region and also improve on our security architecture and also attend to the various needs of civilization, we found this airport and many others that are coming across the country useful.

“The second was a post-Consultancy Services for the construction of the same airport, Wachakal Air stripe which is very close to Nguru in Yobe state. So, first Consultancy Services is given to Kafe Engineering at the sum of N219,782,500 only. This will include seven and a half percent VAT.

“The third memorandum that was taken his approval for the supply and maintenance of eight units of airport rescue and firefighting vehicle including spare parts and training. And this was given to Messers Gulf of Africa International Limited.

“The exclusive representatives of the OEM and the OEMs are Emirate firefighting equipment factory, this is in the sum of N9,535,132,500 even. This also will include seven and a half percent and the delivery period for this procurement is 12 months.

“The last memo that was taken from aviation, it has to do with approval for the award of contract for the deployment of sniffer dogs canine in airports in Lagos and Abuja, we will be continuing with this procurement and other airports as well. So, the total contract sum for this procurement is N658,762,783.36 which includes seven and a half percent VAT.”

At the meeting, the council also approved N537 million for the acquisition of a property to serve as the new headquarters of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, explained that the agency had been making use of a rented property.

“NEITI, which is, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, was given an approval to acquire a permanent office building for N537,000,000 to be used as its head office,” he said.