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Following increased
kidnappings and crime rate in the country, the federal government has
decided to acquire 90 Peugeot 407 vehicles to assist in combating
crime, the minister of information, Dora Akunyili said yesterday.

She said the
project will be funded from the budgetary provision of N79.20 billion
earmarked for the reform programme in the 2010 budget.

This is coming even
as the federal government announced plans to have 36,518 members of the
police shipped out to training schools.

Briefing
journalists after the 23rd session of the weekly federal executive
council meeting which was chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan and
vice president, Namadi Sambo with almost all the ministers in
attendance, the minister of state for information,

Labaran Maku and Mrs Akunyili said the project will gulp a total of N581.5million.

Minister of Police
Affairs, Adamu Waziri, speaking during the meeting which lasted for
about two hours, tendered a memo before council for the award of
contract for the procurement of the vehicles.

“Another memo by
the minister of police affairs got council’s approval for the award of
contract for the procurement of 90 nos Peugeot 407 executive extra for
the Nigeria Police Force, in favour of messrs Peugeot Automobile
Nigeria (PAN) limited, in the total sum of N581,

805,000.00,” Mr
Maku said. “The commitment of the present administration to reposition
the Nigeria Police Force in order for it to perform its constitutional
duties and the need to fast track the implementation of the Reform
Programme of the Nigeria Police Force cannot be over emphasized”.

Mr Maku also stated
that FEC also approved the training of members of the police force as,
without regular training, most police are unable to perform their
duties adequately.

“Efforts are being made to upgrade the capacity of the police through regular training,

which have been
neglected. Currently, 45 courses for different grades for various
levels of police officers have been approved and this year, about
36,518 members of the force will be trained, most of this will go to
the regular police colleges and a few abroad,” he said.

Construction in FCT

Speaking on the
other approvals by Federal Executive Council, Mrs Akunyili said the
minister of the Federal Capital Territory presented a memo to Council
seeking approval for the award of contract for the construction of
Karshi-Ara Road in the FCT. The road is one of the major roads linking
Nasarawa State to the South Eastern part of the FCT. Ara is an
agricultural town in Nasarawa State.

“The Construction
of Karshi-Ara Road will enhance transportation of much needed
agricultural produce to into the FCT and also ease the transportation
of workers in the FCT who reside in Karshi and the neighbouring towns
of Nasarawa State,” she said.

She also noted that
provision of engineering infrastructure to Karshi Town is already
ongoing and attracting many settlers thereby contributing to the
decongestion of the FCT.

She also told
journalist that there is a provision of N2billion in the 2010 statutory
budget of the FCT for construction of the Karshi-Ara Road.

“After considering
the economic benefits of the project, Council approved the award of
contract for the construction of Karshi-Ara Road in the FCT, Abuja, in
favour of Messrs Mangrovetech (Nig) Ltd., in the sum of N4.097bn” the
minister added.

The completion period for the project is 20 months.

The FEC also
approved the ratification of the second revision of the Cotonou
Partnership Agreement which was brought by the minister of planning, Shamsudeen Usman.

The new Agreement, Mrs Akunyili said “will facilitate EU support to climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.

This agreement will commit the EU to re-define the millennium Development Goals”.