The FCT Administration requires a total sum of N470, 348,913,896.95 to pay and complete 17 key national projects in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
FCT Minister, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed CON, made this disclosure on Thursday during a Budget Defence before the Senate Committee on FCT at the National Assembly, Three Arms Zone, Abuja.
The Minister therefore, called on the National Assembly to assist in the quick passage of the FCT Property Tax bill where about N500 billion is expected to be generated annually to the coffers of the FCT Administration.
Mohammed also called on the National Assembly to pass the Bill for the establishment of the FCT Board of Internal Revenue to enable the Administration block all revenue leakages and pay development partners for services rendered.
While saying that the sum of N30.410 billion has been earmarked in the 2014 National Budget which may not allow the FCT to operate optimally, the Minister assured that the FCT Administration would strive to facilitate and attain its goals of creating a city that would compare favourably with the best in the World.
He said that funding required for the provision of infrastructure and services in the Federal Capital Territory is enormous; revealing that about 100,000 destitute and beggars were repatriated to their various states of origin but returned to Abuja as soon as they were dropped.
Making contributions on the Budget, the members of the Senate Committee on FCT decried inadequate budgetary allocation to the Federal Capital Territory; stating that “it seems the Federal Government is no more interested in funding the Abuja project considering the paltry sum of N30.410 billion earmarked this fiscal year”.
The Committee commended the Minister for the unprecedented opening up of new districts in the Federal Capital City; stressing that “no Minister of the FCT has succeeded in opening up new districts than Senator Bala Mohammed”.
FCT Permanent Secretary, John O. Chukwu, FCDA Executive Secretary, Adamu Ismaila, Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Yau Mohammed Gital, Mandate Secretaries, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants as well as the FCT Directors accompanied the Minister to the National Assembly for the Budget Defence.
