FCTA proposes N4.003 billion for UN building

Total sum of N4.003 billion has been proposed for the rehabilitation and provision of additional security measures for the United Nations (UN) building located in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, in 2018.

The proposed amount for the UN building was part of total sum of N40.297 billion proposed in the 2018 budget proposal presented to the House Committee on FCT, chaired by Sergius Ogun (PDP-Edo), who queried the release of 40 percent of capital allocation for the 2017 fiscal year.

According to the breakdown of the budget estimates seen by BusinessDay, the sum of N1 billion was proposed for construction of unspecified numbers of official residences for top government functionaries, despite the subsisting monetisation policy of the Federal Government.

Other lawmakers who spoke during the budget defence also decried poor budgetary releases for completion of on-going infrastructural projects across the territory.

Ogun who spoke with newsmen at the end of the budget defence, observed that no nation can develop with little or no priority to the implementation of capital expenditure component of the budget.

The lawmaker expressed displeasure at various road projects ‎in the FCT, saying that members have no reason to blame Ministry officials when finances needed to carry out projects are not released on time.

Ogun said the non-release of allocation has been the bane of infrastructural development in the City and Nigeria as a whole.

In his presentation, Muhammad Bello, FCT Minister explained that total sum of N30,397,122,872 of its national budget released in 2017 was grossly inadequate to attend to the critical on-going projects.

The Minister who was represented by Chinyeaka Ohaa, FCT Permanent Secretary added that out of the total sum of N30.397 billion appropriated for 2017, the sums of N3 billion, N7.5 billion and N1,698,561,436 were released  for the first, second and fourth quarters respectively, totalling N12,198,561,435.40.

On the 2018 proposal, Bello said the sum of N40,297,122,872.00 was given to the FCT as its national priority capital budget envelope.

The sum of N4 billion is for counterpart funding for Greater Abuja Water Supply project; N4 billion for completion of roads B6, B12 and circle road in the Central Area of the Abuja metropolis; N1 billion for development of Idu Industrial 1B engineering infrastructure and N1 billion for provision of roads and engineering infrastructure to the new layout and Diplomatic Area as phase II contract of the on-going Guzape Lot II district infrastructure.

The sum of N2,297,122,872 is for Abuja Rail Mass Transit project Lots 1 and 2; N2 billion for rehabilitation and expansion of Outer Southern Expressway from Villa Roundabout to Ring road 1; while N4.5 billion is for extension of Inner Southern Expressway from Southern Parkway to ring road 2.

The sum of N1 billion is for construction of a multi-level car-park at the National Assembly complex; N2 billion for construction of Tank 1 & 6 and associated Trunk Mains (Water supply to Phase III); N482,122,872 is for construction of One Service Carriageway of Inner Northern Expressway (INEX) from ring Road III (RR III) to Ring Road IV (RR IV), among others.

Credit: BUSINESSDAY