Reps pass N98.5bn FCT 2024 supplementary budget

The house of representatives has passed the 2024 supplementary bill of N98.5 billion for the federal capital territory administration (FCTA).

The lower legislative chamber passed the supplementary appropriation bill on Thursday after Muktar Betara, chairman of the house committee on FCT, presented a report.

President Bola Tinubu transmitted the supplementary budget to the national assembly, requesting the lawmakers to consider and pass the appropriation bill.

While presenting the report on the bill, Betara said the committee scrutinised the budget and found that it is necessary for the development of the nation’s capital.

In the report, the committee said that “all revenues accruing to the federal capital territory administration, including the statutory revenue distribution, shall be paid into the federal capital territory administration’s statutory revenue account”.

“No monies shall be withdrawn from the account mentioned in section 3(1) above without appropriation by the national assembly,” the report reads.

“Where, due to a revenue shortfall, amounts appropriated under this Bill cannot be funded, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory shall seek from the national assembly a waiver not to incur such expenditure.”

A breakdown of the budget shows N48.5 billion is earmarked for engineering services, N18 billion for the education secretariat,

N16 billion for public buildings and the department of transportation, respectively.

The lawmakers considered the bill clause by clause at the committee on supply and then passed it for the third reading.

Meanwhile, the senate passed the bill for the second reading during Thursday’s plenary.

In March, the national assembly passed N1.2 trillion as the 2024 budget for the FCT.