By Sarah NEGEDU
As part of efforts to ensure the completion of projects across the Federal Capital Territory, the FCT Administration has trimmed down the list of projects to be funded in the 2024 National Priority Budget.
The FCT administration runs a two-budget system namely; the Statutory Budget and the National Priority Budget, which is solely financed by the Federal Government for the provision of critical infrastructure in the territory.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, last Friday, presented the 2024 National Appropriation Bill before a joint session of the Senate and House Committees on FCT, where he listed 5 critical projects the administration intends to execute under the National Priority Budget.
This is a deviation from the 2023 National Priority Budget where 21 projects were listed for consideration but funds where provided for only eight.
The 2023 Appropriation Act earmarked the sum of N15,474,499,132.00 for infrastructural development activities of the FCT Administration, as national priority, but only N8,024,499,132.00 of the amount has so been released to the FCT.
The budget had planned for the installation of solar street lights along various roads in the satellite towns, rehabilitation and upgrading of street lighting facilities in the city centre, the development of Idu industrial 18 engineering infrastructure, construction of tank 1 and 6 and associated trunk mains, as well as the construction and equipping of hospital at Gwarimpa (Phase 1).
The budget also proposed for the rehabilitation of the road from Law School Bwari through the destitute centre to the FCT boundary with Niger state, completion of road B6, B12 and circle Road all in the Central Area, provision of engineering infrastructure to Wasa affordable housing site, construction of 14km Mpape-Shere Galuwyi road, among several other projects.
Despite the importance of most of the projects only 52percent of the budget has so far been released, as critical infrastructure like the rehabilitation of the road from Law School Bwari through the destitute centre to the FCT boundary with Niger state, provision of roads, water and electricity supply to resettlement site of Galuwyi/Shere (phase 1), construction of solid waste transfer stations in the FCT, were all denied allocations in the 2023 National Priority Budget.
Other projects starved of funds in the budget include the construction of 14km Mpape-Shere Galuwyi Road, rehabilitation and upgrading of street lighting facilities in the FCC, installation of solar street lights along various roads in the satelite towns, equipping of hospital at Gwarimpa (Phase 1), completion of road B6, B12 and circle Road all in the Central Area, as well as the rehabilitation and expansion of the Outer Southern Expressway from Villa roundabout to the OSEX/Ring road 1 junction.
Funds were however provided for projects like the N4billion Multilateral/Bilateral project-tied loans-Greater Abuja Water Supply project (fund available for 2022 drawdowns), N300million for development of Idu industrial 18 engineering infrastructure, N300million released for the construction of tank 1 and 6 and associated trunk mains, and another N374,499,132.00 released for the provision of engineering infrastructure to Wasa Affordable Housing Site.
Also provided for was the rehabilitation of federal government buildings which got N1billion, Social Department-completion of 6 area councils stadium facilities (N500million), settlement of residential and office accommodation for international organisations in FCT (N300million) while N1.25billion was released to provide, construct and installation of street lights to support critical infrastructure and improve security in the FCT.
Wike, while presenting the 2024 National Appropriation Bill of N17,109,746,531.00 before committees, disclosed that the administration would prioritise the completion of the Vice President’s Residence, the Greater Abuja Water Supply projects, Design and Construction of Nigeria Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower.
Others are Rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat, and the Settlement of Residential and Office Accommodation for International Organisations in FCT, as part of key areas in the implementation of the 2024 national priority budget.
