The Federal Government, on Wednesday, approved the purchase of 60,000 units of British Waste Bins at N927,600,000, (£3,855,977.83 ) to maintain a clean and healthy environment in Abuja.
The Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, made this known to State House correspondents in Abuja after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting, presided over by Vice-Presideant Namadi Sambo.
She said the bins would contain the volume of waste being generated in the Federal Capital Territory.
Akunyili said that the council approved the purchase of the waste bins because the major challenge confronting the FCT Administration in waste management was inadequate waste receptacles in the city.
Studies have shown that locally-produced plastic waste bins are very low in quality and not compatible with the lifting devices of the waste compacting trucks.
The previous efforts by the board to address these problems did not yield the desired result.
In order to maintain a clean and healthy environment in FCT, the council approved the award of contract for the supply of 60,000 units of 240-litre plastic British bins in the sum of N927,600,000, she said.
The minister said that the waste bins would be distributed to the residents of FCT, while the cost would be recovered within a period of two years through waste bills.
Akunyili said that there was a budgetary provision of N1.1 billion in the FCT 2010 budget for the project.
She also said that the council also approved N455 million for the procurement of additional waste disposal equipment, D7R Series II track bulldozer and Pay-Loader for the FCT.
According to her, the equipment include a landfill compactor, a wheel-loader and steer loader.
Akunyili said that the council approved additional N1.95 billion for the completion of the new headquarters complex of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
She explained that the additional cost came due to inevitable changes that further enhanced the quality and standard of the building.
Akunyili maintained that N4.7 billion had been appropriated in the 2010 amendment appropriation, including the augmentation amount of N1.95 billion..
