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By Nasir Kura
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday ratified the Safe School Declaration, an inter-governmental political commitment that was opened for endorsement by countries at an international conference held in Oslo, Norway, May 29, 2015.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Education Mr Ada mu Adamu at the end of the weekly FEC meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja.
He said there have been a number of activities on the Safe School Declaration and that Nigeria is now committed to implementing its guideline.
“The Safe School initiative will come in proper focus when there is some conflict and the Federal Government will come to their aid but they themselves are doing what they are supposed to do in all the places where they are affected by the conflict,” he said.
The minister said the council also approved contract for the construction of a Faculty of Arts at the Adamawa State University at the cost of N630 million to be funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
Also speaking, Minister of Environment Mr Suleiman Hassan said the council also approved contract for the remediation of five more lots for the ongoing clean up in Ogoni land as a result of the UNEP report that was submitted to the federal government.
“Work is in progress as of today; we have made appreciable progress; we have now awarded five more. Why are coming in phases? The first 16-member was within the threshold of the Ministerial Tenders Board but this one is far above the threshold of the Ministerial Tenders Board.
“That is why it has to come to FEC and we are glad to say that we have secured approval and the contractors will be handed over to the sites as soon as it is practicably possible. The contract cost for this five-number lot is N3.039 billion,’’ he said.
The Minister of Water Resources Mr Suleiman Adamu said the council approved the augmentation of the contract for the Ivo Water Supply Project in Enugu state by N136 million.
He said the contract, which was awarded in 2013 at the cost of N985 million, had been reviewed upwards to N1.121 billion in line with government’s commitment to complete all ongoing projects.
“It is over 80 per cent completed but obviously because of change of scope and issue that have to do with revision of rates, we sought and got approval to revise the cost of the project,” he said.
