The council also ratified the anticipatory approval of the President for the renewal of the contract for the production of passport booklets between the Ministry of Interior and Irish Smart Technologies Nigeria Ltd, a service provider.
Another decision taken was the ratification of the approval of a provisional licence for the establishment of Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Delta State.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Steve Oru, said this to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting.
He was accompanied to the briefing by Minister of Information Patricia Akwashiki, Minister of Interior Abba Moro and Minister of State for Trade and Investment Kenneth Kobani.
The council, he said, ratified the four roads’ contracts which were earlier given anticipatory approvals by Jonathan around last year ending.
According to him, the contract sum for Zaraa-Okodia-Iseni road in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State is N5.923 billion and Agadagba-Akotokpo-Isaya-Ovia River and bridge in Irele Local Government of Ondo State is N15.628 billion to be completed within 18 months.
Others are Ofagbe Udeze-Ozoro road with a spur from Ovwie to Aba road in Isoko North, Isoko South local government areas of Delta State (N6.675 billion to be completed within 18 months) and Amasoma-Egbedi road in Okolouma Okpokuma Local Area of Bayelsa State for N2.767 billion.
He added that a substantial parts of the East-West roads have been completed and there may be tour of the roads by the President in the next 10 days.
Moro said that the council ratified the anticipatory approval of President Jonathan for the renewal of the contract for the production of passport booklets between the Ministry of Interior and Irish Smart Technologies Nigeria Ltd since a subsisting contract with the service provider, which has spanned over 10 years, has since expired.
He said: “The acquisition of the Nigerian passport has increased in rates and so it became imperative that at the expiration of the contract for the production of these passport booklets, that it be renewed for the service provider to continue to provide these passports so that we don’t go to the extent that it will become a crisis situation when passports are exhausted and Nigerians clamour for acquisition of passports and they are not available. So, the council looked at the approval of Mr. President and ratified the approval for the continuous provision of Nigerian passport booklets by Irish Smart Technologies Nigeria Ltd.”
Moro said: “The contract for Irish Technology was renewed for a period of four years and the production of 10 million e-passport booklets in their various categories of 32-page, 62-page, and their counterpart of diplomatic and official passports.”
The contract, he said, is completely contractor financed while each production cost is N693.80
Akwashiki said that the council ratified the approval of a provisional licence for the establishment of Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkoko in Delta State.
She also said that there was approval of a report of the ministerial implementation committee on harmonisation of taxes and levies across the federation.
“This is because we have the issue especially of service providers, who when they move from one state into another, they are also levied by the new state and also by the local government. There was a ministerial committee and the report has been harmonised and approved by FEC,” she added.
Kobani revealed that the council also approved the revised national policy on micro, small and medium enterprises.
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