Abuja Budget:How Senate Plan to Implement Abuja

The senate on Tuesday, March 1 passed the 2015 Federal Capital Territory Appropriation act for second reading to give effect to the implementation of the capital budget provisions beyond December 31 2016. The bill which was

sponsored by Ali Ndume, the senate leader read that the bill seeks to amend the FCT statutory appropriation act 2015 to extend the statutory financial year of the FCT budget from December 31 2015 to March 31 2016. The fundamental cost of the 2015 FCT appropriation act amendment bill 2016 is to make up for the delay in the capital projects and other expenditures occasioned by the past administration.
While reading the report, Senator Ndume said the total sum of the budget is N193 billion which the sum of N45 billion is for personnel cost N33 billion for overhead cost with a balance of N114bn for capital project with the financial year starting January 1 to March 31 2016. “The FCT needs to be extended to make payments for statutory and ongoing projects to achieve a better performance which is currently about 40 percent only. “Please give this bill all the expeditious support and we need to fast track the passage as we have only four weeks,” he said. Omoworare Babajide representing Osun senatorial district pledged support for the bill and also urged for its speedy passage. “I will emphasise on the fact that the FCT budget was passed on May 28 2015 by the President. “It affects the capital part of this budget. There is only seven months left in the financial year to execute and implement this budget.

In a letter sent to the Senate, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, February 23 sought the extension of the implementation of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) budget to enable the FCT to pay for pending critical projects. He said that numerous projects which are critical to the FCT were still pending as FCT administration only had seven months in 2015 to implement its budget which was signed in May 2015 However, two other bills passed second reading. They include a bill for an act to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC) to train, educate and re-orient the youths of this nation, particularly students to facilitate peace and youth development and for other related matters. The second bill is titled a bill for an act to establish the National Unity and Peace Corps to uphold and impart the attributes of the National ethics for restitution diligence. Meanwhile, two reports of the Committee on ethics, privileges and public petitions was also presented on the floor of the senate.