By Sarah NEGEDU
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has presented a N61, 553, 778, 259.93 billion FCT 2023 supplementary budget before the Senate committee on FCT and the House of Representatives Committee.
In his separate presentations to both committees, the minister explained that the amount is required to complete projects that will have direct impact on Abuja residents in the first one year of President Bola Tinubu in office.
He said the budget revenue sources will be inflows from Paris Club Refund, Payee Tax Liabilities, Special Intervention Funds (palliatives), Internally Generated Revenue and the Infrastructure support fund.
A breakdown of the supplementary budget shows that Paris Club Refund supplementary revenue stands at N25,790.082,458, Refund of IPPIS/PAYE N14,320,372,647.53, Special Intervention Fund (palliative) N5,000,000,000.00, IGR N9,443,323,154.00, while Infrastructure support fund stands at 7,000,000,000.00.
He disclosed that top on the list of the projects will include Abuja rail mass transit, provision of mass transit buses/rehabilitation of existing and serviceable and expansion of roads.
Other projects include the rehabilitation of the National Christian centre as well as the rehabilitation of the National Mosque in Abuja and many others.
The Minister explained that the mass transit buses will be launched in December to help address challenges of transportation that pave way for one-chance operations.
Wike said most of the strategic projects awarded for years were abandoned due to lack of funding, which he said his administration would not tolerate.
According to him, “The projects were awarded before I became the minister but I will ensure that they are completed. Projects of national impact can not be abandoned.
“Vice president residential house was awarded in 2010 at the cost of N7 billion but was abandoned, with millennium towers at the cost of N9 billion also abandoned. I have visited the project areas and check the situation of things and have directed work to resume”
Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Hon. Muktar Betara who lauded the minister for his passion to develop the territory, however urged him to reconsider the uniform fees for obtaining a Certificates of Occupancy, saying highbrow areas like Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse and others cannot have the same fees with the satellite towns.
