MARGARET CHIDERA
ABUJA, Nigeria – Due to the paucity of funds, the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, has said that Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), will, henceforth, be tied to the execution of a definite project.
The Minister made this clarification while speaking in his office on Thursday, saying there will be no longer daily spending of the Administration’s IGR.
He revealed that the administration is in the high burden of debt, adding that the administration, among other debts, is trying to pay eight hundred million dollars a fine involving land matter in court against the administration.
While lamenting over the lack of funds to make the federal capital city work, Wike appealed to all, especially the media, to support the administration in its bid to develop the city.
He disclosed that there is a garnishee order to the tune of $8OO million against the FCT Administration.
While drawing attention to the impact of the order on the economy, he said the amount is enough to fund the budget of the FCTA over 10 years.
“We are coming out to tell the people that see what is on the ground, see what we have seen. I was telling the permanent secretary this morning, how can there be a garnishee order of $800m against the FCTA.
“How do you survive it? Who are those responsible for this? That there are no projects in the territory, everything has been abandoned. There is a garnishee order of $800m. Do you know what we are talking about? How do we survive it? Go and see what happened. Garnishee orders here and there.
“The place is just corrupt. The Auditor General will talk to me later. It is terrible. How do we survive it? Then you now said that we have come and that we should do miracles, which miracle? Where will I get the money to go and pay $800m?” he said.
Wike further said that if the public is not informed about what is on the ground, the public will not appreciate it and that Nigerians should know what is going on.
“If you see the rots. These are things you should highlight and tell the world. But we cannot run away, we have to solve the big challenges. That is what we are here for. The president did not bring us here to begin to say you are my brother or sister.
“He brought us here because things are bad, come and help us to see how we can change them. But we will try as much as we can with the little we can do, with the support of everybody. But we cannot finish everything, even if they keep us here for 20 years, we cannot solve everything,” he said.
The minister further threatened to take serious actions against very highly placed persons whose actions are producing a negative impact on the FCT administration.
