Wike meets NASS, justifies N61.6bn FCT supplementary budget expenditure

By Stanley Onyekwere

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike justified the request for N61, 553, 778, 259.93 billion FCT 2023 supplementary budget before both Senate and the House of Representatives Committees on FCT, at the National Assembly.
Wike, who made the assertion he appeared separately before the NASS committees yesterday in Abuja, said the proposed supplementary budget was to accommodate additional inflows comprising receipts from Paris Club Refund, Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Tax Liabilities, and Special Intervention Funds.
He added that other sources are Internationally Generated Revenue (IGR) and the Infrastructure Support Fund, leading to a revised budget of N641.3 billion as against the N579.7 billion earlier budgeted for 2023 financial year.
According to him, the funds if approved would be channelled towards completion of priority projects in the infrastructure sector, that will have direct impact on Abuja residents in the first one year of President Bola Tinubu in office.
He revealed that Paris Club Refund supplementary revenue stand 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 and Infrastructure support fund which stand at 7,000,000,000.00.
Furthermore, the Minister 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.
Wike added that others to include rehabilitation of both National Christian centre and National Mosque in Abuja.
He said some of the projects are full scope development of arterial road N20, from Northern Parkway to Outer Northern Expressway and construction of Southern Parkway from Christian Centre to Ring Road I as well as rehabilitation and expansion of Outher Southern Expressway from Villa Roundabout to Osex/Ring Road I Junction, including four interchange and provision of access road to Kabusa Garden Estate.
The Minister added that other projects to benefit from the supplementary budget include the completion of the Vice President residence awarded since 2010 but abandoned due to lack of funds and construction of cultural centre and millennium tower.
He further explained that the mass transit buses will be launched in December to help address challenges of transportation that pave way for one-chance operations.
He noted that most of the strategic projects awarded for years were abandoned due to lack of funding, which he said his administration would not tolerate.
“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 seven billion but was abandoned, with millennium towers at the cost of nine billion also abandoned.
“I have visited the project areas and check the situation of things and have directed work to resume”, he stated.
Earlier, the Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Mr. Muktar Betara, commended Wike for his passion to develop the territory.
He, however, urged the minister to reconsider the uniform fees pegged as charged for obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy.
He stressed that people living in Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse and others should not pay the same fees as those in satellite towns.
On his part, the Chairman Senate Committee on FCT, Mr Ibrahim Bomai, also lauded the minister’s initiative to complete ongoing projects while other issues like security, education and health was provided for in the 2024 budget.