The Federal Executive Council yesterday approved N15bn for the construction of an access road linking the Benin-Asaba Expressway to the Second Niger Bridge.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the completion of the road would help achieve the dream of inaugurating the bridge before May 29.He said N16bn was also approved as variation for the dualisation of Suleja-Minna Road in Niger State.

He said N8bn was approved for Jatu Dam  in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State to provide potable water and also all year water for farming for the community; while the state government had undertaken to underwrite 25% of the amount. The Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, said 3.7m euro and N1.137bn were approved for the construction of 2 by 60 MVA three 132 33 KV substations at Nnewi and 2 by 132 KV line day extension at Onitsha substations for the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

“It’s a subsisting contract, which started since 2006. And it has so far delayed due to so many reasons; lack of budgetary provision, issues that affect most of our projects like way leave that causes delay that leads to variation.

“It has been varied many, many times. So, recently, the TCN in their quest to complete most of the projects, especially project like this one, set up a committee and came up with the position as to how much will complete the project, and then leads to this memo coming into effect after passing all the due processes.”