NIGERIA: In the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided Wednesday, September 26, 2012, by Vice President Namadi Sambo who sat in for President Goodluck Jonathan who is meanwhile attending the 67th UN General Assembly in New York, series of contracts were approved in the amount of 16.2 billion naira for feasibility studies on the construction of a high speed rail line from Lagos to Abuja; rail line from Benin, Edo State to Abakiliki, Ebonyi State; a rail line from Zaria to Sokoto; an interstate freeway from Benue to Enugu, a 6.97 billion naira under the Universal Basic Education Intervention Funds for contracts to print and distribute 16 million English, Mathematics, basic and technology text books to Primaries three, four, five and six.
Also the FEC meeting announced that the feasibility studies for the light rail from Lagos to Abuja is anticipated to be done with, in seven months. “We will not hesitate to deal with any erring head of public Schools who indulge in diversion of books meant for public schools," the Minister of Information Labaran Maku said, adding that "the books are meant to be distributed free to pupils and students in such schools.” However, money for the books, Maku said, are derived from the 15% of the 2% from Consolidated Revenue Funds, CRF approved for the purpose on 27th of 2008 as intervention fund for the procurement of instruction materials to enhance the Universal Basic Education in Nigeria public schools."
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