The Federal Minster of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, has appealed to the National Assembly to speedily approve the N17.1 billion appropriated for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in the N27.5 trillion 2024 proposed National Budget.
The minister made the appeal when he appeared before the joint session of the Senate and House Committees on FCT, in Abuja on Friday.
Wike explained that the N17.1 billion allocated to the FCTA would be used to complete several abandoned projects as well as to sustain the implementation of critical projects.
- “The money is just N17.1 billion, so what can I say other than to say, please help us pass it,” Wike appealed.
Breakdown of how the N17.1 billion would be spent
The FCT minister explained that out of the N17.1 billion allocated to the FCTA, N5 billion will be used for the Greater Abuja Water Supply projects and N4.5 billion for the design and construction of the Nigeria Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower.
In addition, Wike said that N3 billion was allocated for the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat and N4 billion for the completion of the vice president’s residence.
Also, the minister revealed that the settlement of residential and office accommodation for international organisations in Abuja would gulp N609.7 million from the 2024 budget allocation to the FCTA.
On the performance of the 2023 budget, Wike said that a total of N15.5 billion was appropriated for infrastructural development, adding however, that only N8 billion was released representing 52 per cent.
Promise of speedy approval
Responding to the FCT Minister’s appeal, Mr Ibrahim Bomai, who serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, acknowledged that all the projects were ongoing, adding that the funds would not be enough to complete the projects.
The lawmaker noted that the FCT operates a dual budget – the national budget and the statutory budget – and expressed hope that the statutory budget might be in hundreds of billions.
Bomai, therefore, urged the NASS committees on FCT to give no objection considering the meagre amount.
- “If you have no objection, we will ask the minister to take a bow and go,” Bomai said.
