Photo Caption
L-R: Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Mr Olusade Adesola, FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike and the Executive Secretary FCDA, Engr Shehu Hadi Ahmed at the presentation of the 2023 FCT statutory supplemntary budget at the National Assembly on Wednesday
By Ignatius Ushie
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, has presented a N61,553,778,259 billion 2023 statutory supplementary budget proposal for the FCT before the Senate and House of Representatives Committees of the National Assembly.
In a statement made available to Transport Day in Abuja, Wike while making the presentation before the Senate and House of Representatives Committees in Abuja on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, disclosed that the supplementary budget is to accommodate additional cash inflows to the FCT to ensure the completion of prioritized projects and programmes of the Administration.
The Minister explained that the additional cash inflows comprise of receipts of N25.8 billion Paris Club Refund, N28.6 PAYE Tax liabilities from federal agencies, N5 billion Special intervention funds (palliatives) from the Federal Government, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N9.4 billion and N5 billion Infrastructure Support Fund, adding that Of the N61.55 billion proposed sum, N12.9 billion is for overhead costs, while N48.6 billion is earmarked for capital expenditure.
Some of the capital projects that will benefit from the supplementary budget include the resurfacing of existing roads and remedial works phase I and II, completion of roads B6, B12 & Circle Road in the Abuja Central Area, Full Scope Development of Arterial Road N20 from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX) and Construction of Southern Parkway from Christian Centre (S8/9) to Ring Road I (RRI). Others are the provision of Engineering Infrastructure to Wuye District, Provision of Access Road to Kabusa Garden Estate, Provision of Mass Transit Buses/Rehabilitation of existing and Serviceable, Rehabilitation of National Mosque and National Christian Centre, Design and Construction of Vice President’s residents, amongst others.
The Minister equally disclosed that virtually all the contractors working for the FCT Administration had left the project sites prior to the coming of the current FCT Administration due to the non-payment of contractual obligations by the FCTA. He said FCT Administration required the consent of the National Assembly via appropriation in order to utilize the needed funds to get the contractors back to the various sites adding that the budgeted funds would be attached to some of the ongoing projects to ensure their completion before May next year.
He informed that the projects are part of the presidential deliverables of which the FCT Administration is committed to completing before the celebration of one year in office of the President by May 2024.
The FCT Minister further disclosed that substantial funds from the supplementary budget has been earmarked for extensive advertisements in the national newspapers aimed at creating enough awareness in its bid to enforce the payment of ground rent and the proposed recertification of Certificates of Occupancy.
These actions, the Minister said, will help to boost the IGR of the FCT and improve the security features of the FCT land Title documents as well as checkmate fraud.
The Minister also disclosed that the Administration will engage the services of Senior Advocates of Nigeria to efficiently defend the FCTA in the numerous litigations leveled against it which he said numbered about 800.
The Minister further clarified that the FCT 2023 supplementary budget differs from the national supplementary budget presented by the President, where the sum of N100 billion was allocated to the FCT to carry out national projects like the metro line and some other road projects.
He therefore called on the National Assembly to give expeditious approval to the supplementary budget, promising that the FCT will witness the commissioning of many projects next year.
In his remarks Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on FCT, Hon. Mukhtar Betara commended the FCT Minister for his passion and commitment to the development of the FCT.Other members of the Committee also called for improved security and increased CCTV surveillance in the FCT as well as the provision of road infrastructure, education and health facilities in the satellite towns.
Barrister Wike was also commended for the improved street lighting in the city which has greatly enhanced security.
The Minister was accompanied by the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, the Executive Secretary FCDA, Engr. Shehu Hadi Ahmad, Mandate Secretaries, Directors and other senior officials of the FCT Administration.
