By Paul Effiong, Abuja
House of Representatives Committee on FCT has adopted the bill seeking for the approval of N288 billion Supplementary Budget for Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA.
It would be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had in a letter to the lawmakers requested for the total sum of N288 billion supplementary budget for the FCTA with a view to accommodate additional inflows from Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, and Miscellaneous Revenues in the sums of N8 billion and N280 billion, respectively.
Speaking during a meeting with the committee and officials of the FCTA for the Budget Defence yesterday in Abuja, the Chairman, House Committee on FCT, Hon. Aliyu Muktar Betara explained the need for an accelerated consideration and passage of the Appropriation bill for the implementation of critical developmental projects across the nation’s capital city.
He explained that the Committee was mandated to lay the report on the Supplementary budget during Thursday plenary “because there are critical projects that needed to start by next week because of the timeframe”.
He further noted that most of the projects captured in the Statutory budget, he observed that the Senate Committee on FCT is also working on the proposed Supplementary budget.
According to him, FCT Minister during the consultation affirmed that most of the augmentation requested for in the proposed supplementary budget were captured in the 2024 statutory budget passed by the National Assembly.
“There are no new projects, the only new projects are just two line items”, he noted.
It was gathered that President Tinubu in the letter addressed to Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, averred that: “Indeed, residents of the Federal Capital Territory are in high spirit and elated with the magnitude and scope of on-going projects simultaneously within the City Centre and across the six Area Councils of the Territory.
“The socio-economic impact is gratifying and its indeed a testament that Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda is a promise made and a promised being fulfilled in quick succession.
“Mr. President may wish to be informed that Capital projects constitute the critical component of the FCT 2024 Statutory Appropriation with an expected significant impact on manpower and infrastructural development within the Federal Capital Territory.
