Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of ₦970.2 million for the construction of residential accommodation for personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).

Briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed said the accommodation was important because the NCS, being a para-military organization was trying to ensure that its staff were kept in barracks.

Her words: “The Nigeria Customs got approval today for acquisition of residential accommodation for the staff of the service.

“What the Customs is acquiring is an estate that has a total of 42 flats and the total cost is ₦152 million per block of six units. The approval that we got today is in the total sum of ₦970.2 million inclusive of VAT.”

She said in its desire to upgrade its services to international best practice in information and communication, the NCS also got an approval to procure modern communication gadgets.

She disclosed that the gadgets which include HF radios, BHF radios, Walkie Talkies, cable towers and accessories were needed to enable the service enhance its end-to-end encryption of message delivery to avoid tapping by unscrupulous elements, smugglers and the likes.

“The need has become necessary because of increased onslaught by the service on smuggling and other illegal economic activities.

“The contract that was approved is in the total sum of N247.907 million inclusive of five per cent VAT and the equipment will be delivered within a period of eight weeks,” she added.