Minister of the Federal Capital Territory , Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has appeared before lawmakers in the National Assembly and defended the over Sixty One Billion Naira FCT 2023 Supplementary Budget.
The Minister said the budget is targeted at completion of some critical projects before President Tinubu’s one year in office.
In a separate presentations before the committees of the House of Representatives and that of Senate on the FCT, Barr. Wike told members of the committees that the amount is required to complete projects that will have direct impact on Abuja residents in the first one year of President Bola Tinubu in office.
He said the budget revenue sources will be inflows from paris club Refund, Payee Tax Liabilities, Special Intervention Funds (palliatives), Internally Generated Revenue and the Infrastructure support fund.
A review of the budget shows 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 identified others to include rehabilitation of National Christian centre and rehabilitation of National Mosque in Abuja and many others.
Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Muktar Betara who lauded the minister for his passion to develop the territory, however urged him to reconsider the uniform fees for obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy, saying highbrow areas like Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse and others cannot have the same fees with the satellite towns.
On his part, Senator Ibrahim Bomai, Commended the minister for allocating over 80% of the supplementary to provision of physical infrastructure.
