Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), 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.
The Minister told the federal lawmakers yesterday, November 29 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.
He said 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.
According to the minister, out of the N61.55 billion proposed sum, N12.9 billion is for overhead costs while N48.6 billion is earmarked for capital expenditure.
He said that 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, Wike said, 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.
According to him, all the contractors working for the FCT Administration had left the project sites prior to his coming as minister due to non-payment of contractual obligations.
He said that the 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 said that the projects are part of the presidential deliverables of which he is committed to completing before the celebration of one year in office of the President in May 2024.
The Minister said 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.
He said 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 said that the 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 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.
Speaking, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on FCT, Mukhtar Betara commended the 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 capital city as well as the provision of road infrastructure, education and health facilities in the satellite towns.
