The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, has given reasons why the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) was pulled out from the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
It would be recalled that last Friday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had directed that the FCTA be removed from the TSA to generate its own resources to fund the daily running of the agency.
Meanwhile, Wike explaining the reason behind the motive said that the FCTA spends a total of N8 billion monthly.
He stressed that the burden will be much for the federal government to bear coupled with the fragility of the economy.
According to Wike, the former governor of Rivers State, the monthly N8 billion spent on salary every month excludes the N35,000 wage awards demand from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Therefore, it became necessary that the FCTA should start generating its own resources to meet up with the rising demands.
He made this known on Wednesday when he received the executive members of the FCT chapter of Association of Resident Doctors, led by the President, Dr. Rahman Olayinka.
He said: “People want the government to do things for them. The federal government has just increased salaries by N35,000. But where are the resources? Nobody is asking this question. People just want more money.
“In FCT, the monthly salary bill is N8 billion. I am not talking about this increment now. Now, what are we dependent on? IGR. We must tell ourselves the simple truth. The current expenditure is such that we cannot fund infrastructure. When we were in Rivers,we were doing 70 per cent for infrastructure and 30 for recurrent.”
Also, at a separate engagement, the minister has decided to give religious organizations in the territory more time to develop their lands following the ‘revoke or develop’ notice issued last month.
It would be recalled, Wike had given owners of 189 undeveloped plots three months to start work or risk having their rights revoked.
But, the minister announced that the FCT administration was extending the ultimatum to religious organizations because they primarily relied on voluntary donations from members.
He explained that the revocation order given to owners of abandoned projects and plots was not intended to target any specific person or group but rather to alter the terrain and deter criminals from taking up residence there.
He said: “In order to fight crime, and change the landscape of the city, we will not allow uncompleted buildings. Therefore, those who gave theirs, go now and start completing.
”We know the finances of religious groups, they are handicapped as they are not business people, and it is only when people come to support them.
“In such areas, we can say on religious grounds, instead of three months, we can give additional time but it is not targeted at anybody or group. Now, you have come and explained, which any reasonable man would accept.
”So our people should stop saying he is targeting a group or religion or ethnic group. No, it is for the interest of all of us.
“We will extend it, so we will not restrict it to three months for you as a religious group because there is no money as people come to support you. And it is only when they support you that you can carry out whatever you are doing.”
