Reps adopt FCT N288bn supplementary budget

The House of Representatives Committee on the Federal Capital Territory on Wednesday adopted a bill seeking the approval of the sum of N288 billion Supplementary budget for the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

According to the proposal transmitted to the House by President Bola Tinubu, the N288 billion supplementary budget was to accommodate additional inflows from Internally Generated Revenue and miscellaneous revenues in the sums of N8bn and N280bn respectively.

The Chairman, House Committee on FCT, Muktar Betara, who spoke during the budget defence meeting with members, explained the need for accelerated consideration and passage of the Appropriation bill for the implementation of critical developmental projects across the nation’s capital city.

Betara, who represents Biu/Bayo/Shani/Kwaya/Kusar Federal Constituency of Borno State, told newsmen 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 noted that FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, during the consultation affirmed that most of the augmentation requested for in the proposed supplementary budget was 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.

The report is expected to be laid on the floor of the Green Chamber on Thursday, September 26, following the adoption of the supplementary budget.

In a letter transmitted to the House through the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, President Tinubu noted that “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 it’s indeed a testament that Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda is a promise made and a promised being fulfilled in quick succession.

“Mr Speaker 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.

“However, to realize the key FCT deliverables of the Performance Bond signed by the Honourable Minister of the FCT with Mr President at the inception of this administration, it is imperative to deliver on the critical projects and programmes that were inadvertently omitted in the FCT 2024 Statutory Appropriation Act and to meet up with the 30 per cent requirement of the Procurement Act.”