‘FCTA to receive N23bn SURE-P intervention fund’

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, has revealed that the administration has concluded plans to receive N23 billion intervention fund from the Federal government’s Subsidy Reinvestment Programme (SURE-P), to implement some key developmental projects in the territory.

Mohammed, made this disclosure, while receiving the Chairman of SURE-P, retired Air Marshal Martin-Luther Agwai, recently.

According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the FCT Minister, Nosike Ogbuenyi, the minister added that the proposed SURE-P intervention fund would help to accelerate the completion of the projects which he described as “people-centred’’.

“The fund will however be subject to endorsement by the National Assembly via appropriation; but already, under the statutory budget, FCT is projected to receive a total of N3.7billion.

“The N23billion 2014 National SURE-P Budget funding for FCT will cover Abuja Rail Mass Transit Project in which N10billion has been earmarked.

“It will also cover the provision of infrastructure at Nyanya Labour Camp, Wasa and Mamusa West Districts (affordable and social housing districts) and some vital construction projects,” the statement quoted the minister.

It added that Mohammed said that FCTA approached the National SURE-P to intervene in some critical projects to fast track the completion of the FCT rail mass transit scheme.

According to the minister, the FCTA under his leadership had given special attention to projects that would impact positively on the lives of the ordinary people.

“The first phase of the FCT railway project covering a distance of 60.67 km of standard gauge railway tracks and associated permanent way within the FCT is billed for completion in 2015.

“The total contract price of the project of the current phase is 823.5 million dollars and 500 million dollars of this sum was provided as concessional loan from the EXIM Bank of China,’’ he said.

Responding, the SURE-P Chairman, described Abuja as an important project of the Federal Government, as the headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States and the conference hub of the African continent required special intervention to bridge funding gaps.

He adds: “We hope that this year and subsequent years, we will work hand-in-hand with the FCT Administration to achieving a more beautiful Abuja.”

He however stressed that the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), SURE-P and the FCTA would work out plans on how to spend the fund once appropriated by the National Assembly.