By Stanley Onyekwere
FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has appealed to the National Assembly to consider and approve the total sum of N17 billion appropriated for FCT Administration in the President Bola Tinubu’s N27.5 trillion 2024 proposed National Budget.
Making this appeal when he appeared before the Joint Session of the Senate and House Committees on FCT, in Abuja on Friday, Wike explained that N17.1 billion was allocated to the FCT Administration.
While noting that the amount was allocated to complete abandoned projects to sustain the implementation of critical projects, the Minister disclosed that of the amount, N5 billion was allocated as a counterpart fund for the Greater Abuja Water Supply projects and N4.5 billion for the design and construction of Nigeria Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower.
He disclosed that N3 billion was allocated for the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat, while N4 billion was allocated for the completion of the Vice President’s Residence.
He added that N609.7 million for settlement of residential and office accommodation for international organisations in FCT.
According to hom: “The money is just N17.1 billion, so what can I say other than to say, please help us pass it.”
Commenting on the performance of the 2023 budget, Wike revealed that a total of N15.5 billion was appropriated for infrastructural development, adding however, that only N8 billion was released representing 52 per cent.
While responding, the Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Mr Ibrahim Bomai, opined that that all the projects were ongoing ones, adding that the funds would not be enough to complete the projects.
Bomai also pointed out 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.
He, therefore, appealed to the members of the joint session to give no objection considering what he described as the meager amount, saying “If you have no objection, we will ask the minister to take a bow and go.”
