…NDLEA Gets N1.07 Billion for Lie Detector, Night Vision Goggles
The Federal Government has approved the sum of N32.742 billion for some contracts in the Ministries of Works snd Housing, and its Industry, Trade and Investment counterpart.
The money was approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by the President on Wednesday.
The FEC also approved N1.07 billion for the provision of lie detectors and night vision goggles for National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, who spoke to State House correspondents after the meeting said that a first memo of N9.446 billion was approved to add to the Zaria-Funtua section of the Zaria-Sokoto-Birnin-Kebbi highway.
He explained that the addition of the N9.446 billion now takes the total contract sum to N16.924 billion.
“The augmentation caters for an extension of the scope of works on that section from 26 kilometers to a total of 64 kilometers. It also caters for the improvement of the pavement from a laterite-based pavement to a cement-based, concrete-mixed, stone-base pavement.
“It also makes provision for extensive drainage works to accommodate increasing rain flow and flooding patterns that we have observed in the last few years. Council approved that memorandum.”
The minister also said that the Federal Road Maintenance Agency got approval for a contract to rehabilitate Kwara-Peta-Milda road in Borno State,
The contract is awarded to CBC Global Civil Engineering and Building Construction N6,271,985,441.2.
Fashola added that FEC also approved the rehabilitation of the Uturu-Isikwato-Akara Road in Abia State at the cost of N13.624 billion to 18th Engineering Company for 24 months.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, who also spoke during the briefing said that FEC approved the procurement of lie detectors and digital night vision goggles for the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for enhanced their performance.
He said, “Two memos were presented this afternoon by the Federal Ministry of Justice on behalf and at the instance of national drugs, law enforcement agency.
“As you rightly know, National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency is an agency of the government saddled with the responsibility of exterminating illicit drugs trafficking, sales and consumption.
“Arising from the fact that they have been doing wonderfully well, in terms of dealing with the scourge associated with drugs, the federal government has considered the possibility of making added provisions and employing and deploying technological equipment skills and competencies that will assist them in delivery.
“So, this morning, two memos were taken. One, it was a memo seeking the approval of the council for the award of contract for the supply of eye-scanning lie detector.
Our technology has improved to the extent that we have in place technological equipment that have the capacity to detect whether you are indeed speaking the truth or indeed you are lying in the course of investigation.
“So, for the purpose of enhancing the capacity of the NDLEA in exterminating illicit drugs trafficking, sales and consumption, the federal government has considered the need and possibility of indeed providing this equipment to NDLEA.
He said that the contract to procure of the lie detectors and night vision goggle was awarded to Zettabytes Technologies Limited.
