Only N50 Billion Has Been Released As FCT Supplementary Budget – Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said only N50 billion of FCT’s supplementary budget has been released by the Federal Government to complete ongoing projects.

The former Governor of Rivers State made this known on Thursday during an inspection of projects in the nation’s capital.

Wike also expressed the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with other security agencies to install Closed-circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the FCT to harness the security situation in the nation’s capital.

Recall that in late 2023, the National Assembly approved N61. 55 billion FCT supplementary budget following the passage of the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill for the FCT.

N12.90 billion of the approved sum is for overhead costs (recurrent expenditure), while N48.65 billion is for capital projects.

‘It Is Just N17.1bn’ – Wike Begs NASS To Approve FCT Budget

Meanwhile, Wike has appealed to the National Assembly to approve the N17bn appropriated for the FCT Administration in the 2024 national budget.

Wike made the appeal on Friday when he appeared before the lawmakers to defend the FCT budget.

The former Rivers State Governor explained to a joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on FCT that the figures are meant to complete abandoned projects and sustain the implementation of critical projects in the FCT.

Giving a breakdown of the budget figures, Wike explained to the lawmakers that N5bn was allocated as counterpart funding for the Greater Abuja Water Supply project and N4.5bn for the design and construction of the Nigeria Cultural Centre and Millennium Tower.

He added that N3bn was allocated for the rehabilitation of the federal secretariat, while N4bn was allocated for the completion of the Vice President’s residence.