The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved eight billion Naira contract for the procurement of firefighting equipment, as well as their maintenance, and refurbishment centre in Katsina.
Briefing newsmen on the approval, the Minister of Aviation, Alhaji Hadi Sirika, said the contracts, to be completed in twelve months, would save the country the huge foreign exchange being spent to procure, repair, and refurbish firefighting equipment abroad.
He explained that the centre would cover the maintenance needs of firefighting equipment and heavy-duty vehicles across the country, explaining that the centre will gradually be converted to serve as assembly plant for firefighting and other heavy-duty trucks.
The Minister said contract for the building of the maintenance centre had also been approved at the cost of about four billion Naira, while the civil works around the centre, which is within the threshold of the ministry, will gulp over one billion Naira.
The Council also approved a full business case that would serve as a roadmap for the Ministry of Aviation’s intention to set up an aircraft maintenance and overhaul facility in the country.
Alhaji Hadi Sirika explained that when established, the huge sums of money and precious time Nigeria had been spending on maintaining aircraft oversea, would be saved and put to use elsewhere.
He explained that the consortium that will establish the aircraft maintenance centre would pay about 186 million dollars annually to the Federal Government, which will subsequently be reviewed upwards.
The Minister said agreement with the consortium was thirty years, and that the breakdown of the amount to be paid to the government included fixed fee of 1.4 million dollars, variable fees of 51.1 million dollars, land rent at 6.82 million dollars, and corporate taxes at 126 million dollars.
Bello Wakili