Reps approve N271bn 2014 FCT budget

By Umar Muhammad Puma

The House of Representatives yesterday passed for a second reading the sum of N271, 125, 108, 635 as statutory revenue for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in 2014.

The breakdown of the budget show that the sum of N49, 200, 944, 858 for personnel cost, while the sum of N62, 891, 521, 857 was for overhead cost.

The balance of the sum of N159, 032, 636, 920 is for capital project for the services of the federal capital territory administration for the year 2014.

Leading the debate, Chairman House committee on federal capital territory (FCT), Rep. Emanuel Jime (APC Benue), said in the proposed budget, there was a slight increase from N259 billion in 2013, to N271 billion for the 2014, representing an increase of N12 billion.

Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who presided over the sitting of the House refers the bill to the committee of FCT for further legislative inputs.

The House also passed into second reading the 2014 budget for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), of N322.6 billion yesterday. The budget is for the fiscal year period between 1st April and December 2014.

N15.08 billion of the total budget was set aside for the personnel costs, with N10.186 billion went for the overhead expenditure cost of the commission within the year.

The budget also has N2.281 billion for the capital expenditure of the commission, while N295.051 billion was earmarked for development projects for the service of the Niger Delta Development Commission within the fiscal period.

Rep Abubakar Momoh (PDP, Edo) said the budget deserved to be passed in view of its importance to the people of the region.

But Rep Dakuku Peterside, while supporting the passage of the bill, however said there was the need for the House to follow the implementation of the budget due to the number of uncompleted projects in the states.