FEC okays N2.4b for auto testing equipment, tools

THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) Wednesday okayed contract worth €11.574 million (N2.445billion) for the procurement and supply of auto-testing equipment and installation as well as training of personnel in three laboratories located in Enugu, Zaria and Lagos. 

  Meanwhile, FEC has also approved contract for the provision of temporary office accommodation in Abuja for the Investments and Securities Tribunal (IST).

  Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Olusegun Aganga disclosed this Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan with Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo in attendance.

  Aganga who was flanked by the Supervising Information Minister, Chief Edem Duke, Laurencia Laraba Mallam and the Coordinating Minister of Economy (CME) and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said that the idea was to ensure vehicle safety and environmental protection as well as the quality of automative products in the country.

  Aganga explained that the amount approved for the contract was part of the N3billion provided in the 2014 internally generated revenue of the National Automative Council (NAC).  

  The contracts, which have been divided into five parts include Lot 1, – which entails supply, installation and training on Auto-Testing Laboratory Equipment for emission laboratory in Lagos. This segment of the contract was awarded to Messers AVL List GMbH, Austria at the cost of €4.801million.

  The second part was for the supply, installation and training on Auto-Testing Laboratory Equipment for Auto component laboratory in Enugu, awarded to Messers Mustang Advanced Engineering (USA) Afram Nigeria Ltd at the cost of €4.626 million.

  According to Aganga, the supply at the Zaria Laboratory would be handled by Messers AVS Nigeria/Artec Testnology, Netherlands at the cost €1.202million.

  Lot five of the project included the supply, installation and training on Auto Testing Laboratory Equipment for vehicle evaluation laboratory, Zaria, in favour of Messers Mustang Advanced Engineering USA/Afram Nigeria limited in the sum of €898, 791. All the auto equipment was expected to be supplied within the next 36weeks.

  The IST is responsible for the adjudication of cases in the capital market.

  According to the finance minister, the tribunal had over the years been grappling with the challenge of regular payment of rent on its office accommodation as well as threats of eviction from the rented office accommodation which had become an annual occurrence with the attendant embarrassment.

  She said that the procurement of the office space would be funded from a grant of N410billion by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the Tribunal based on a request by the Minister of State for Finance for the office building, pool vehicles for judges and other operational purposes. ‎

  Council also yesterday considered and approved a National Policy framework on Nigeria Polychlorinated Biphenyls Management. The policy, which was expected to be sent to the National Assembly to be passed into law, would be a regulatory framework for the control of environmental hazards resulting from the activities of unscrupulous people who would want to explore the environment by abusing the substance. 

  According to the Environment Minister, the objective of the policy was to strengthen government’s capacity to manage, monitor and control the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).

  Government hopes to ultimately phase out the use of PCBs in the course of protecting human health and the environment in the country. The Draft National PCBs Policy, she said had already been adopted by relevant stakeholders and was developed under the Nigeria PCB Management Project.

  It is expected to be sent to the National Assembly soon for passage into law.