The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a supplementary budget of N98.5 billion for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). Simultaneously, the Senate advanced the bill for a second reading and referred it to the Committee on FCT for further examination.
House of Representatives Approves Supplementary Budget
The Chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Hon. Aliyu Betara, presented the committee’s report to the House during plenary for consideration. President Bola Tinubu had earlier submitted the supplementary appropriation bill to the National Assembly, stating the funds were necessary for critical infrastructure development in the nation’s capital.
Hon. Betara emphasized that the committee had thoroughly reviewed President Tinubu’s presentation and concluded that the funds were essential for developing specific infrastructures in Abuja. He said, “This House should consider the Report of the Committee on Federal Capital Territory on a Bill for an Act to Authorise the issue from the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Statutory Revenue Fund the total sum of N98,500,000,000 only for Capital Projects; for the Service of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, for the Financial Year ending December 31, 2024.”
The bill specifies that the Director of Treasury of the FCTA is authorized to disburse up to N61,553,778,260.00 from the FCTA Statutory Revenue Fund, as authorized by warrants signed by the Minister of FCT.
Additionally, Betara mentioned that all revenues accruing to the FCTA, including statutory revenue distribution, shall be deposited into the FCTA statutory revenue account. The House mandated that no funds be withdrawn from this account without National Assembly appropriation. However, in cases of revenue shortfalls, the Minister must seek a waiver from the National Assembly to incur such expenditures.
Senate Advances Supplementary Bill
In related proceedings, the Senate passed the FCTA supplementary bill for a second reading and referred it to the Committee on FCT for further consideration. Senate President Godswill Akpabio directed the committee to report back within two weeks.
Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, presented the budget estimates during the plenary. The Senate had previously delayed the bill due to a lack of detailed budget breakdowns. However, during Thursday’s plenary, Senator Ashiru urged his colleagues to support the bill’s passage, emphasizing the need for FCT development.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, also appealed for support, noting that the bill had been debated previously before being temporarily shelved.
The legislative actions taken by both chambers underscore the commitment to advancing critical infrastructure projects in the Federal Capital Territory, ensuring timely and effective use of the allocated funds.