The leadership and members of the National Assembly has showered praises on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, Nysom Wike for his exceptional performance as minister.
NASS gave the commendation when Wike appeared before them to defend the N1.78 trillion FCT Statutory Budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on FCT, Sen. Ibrahim Bomai, particularly commended Wike for his wonderful performance in just a short time as FCT minister. Bomai also extended the commendation to the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud.
The Committee Chairman also stated that he was impressed with the FCT’s 2025 revenue and fiscal framework.
“This is the first time FCT is proposing to generate about N1.7 trillion.
“What FCT has presented is one of the best budgets so far.
“Also, the N608 billion projected Internally Generated Revenue for 2025 also shows a significant improvement,” Bomai said.
In his contributions, Sen. Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central, PDP), commended the FCT Minister for the comprehensive turnaround of Abuja as Nigeria’s capital city.
Ningi equated the current status of the FCT to that of Johannesburg in South Africa and Cairo, Egypt. He, however, urged the Minister to do more in improving the security in the territory.
Similarly, Sen. Mohammed Ndume (Borno South APC) applauded Wike.
He said: “Everybody that knows where Abuja was two years ago and what it is now, knows that you have done well.
“Even yesterday, my friend told me that Wike is doing fine. And I said no, it is the Senate that is doing fine. Because without approving his budget, he cannot do anything”.
Ndume, therefore, pledged the continued support of the Senate to enable him to succeed.
On his part, Sen. Osita Ozunaso (Imo West, APC) stated that the FCT budget performance was commendable. Particularly the reduction in personnel cost to allocate more funds to capital projects.
He said, “Whenever we are sitting on budgets, people come here and they increase the personnel cost. But you have reduced the personnel cost in the 2025 proposed budget by N21 billion from the amount allocated in 2024.
“Secondly, you have more capital expenditure than recurrent. This is commendable,” Ozunaso said.
Giving his commendation, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North, APC) described Wike as one of the best Minister’s under the APC administration.
He noted that too much money was being spent on overhead with very little available for infrastructure.
“What Wike has done is worth noting but commendation,” Oshiomhole said.
The Edo Senator also commended the FCT Minister for implementing specific programmes to bring life to rural communities in FCT.
He said, “This was the most potent statement to decongest the city, by taking development to the people where they live.
One of the few female voices in the Senate, Ireti Kingibe (FCT, LP), also couldn’t help but to commend the FCT Minister.
Recall that Kingibe has been very critical of Wike’s leadership style
Praising Wike, she noted that the Minister’s performance are visible and undisputable.
Earlier, at the House of Representatives, the Chairman of the Committee on FCT, Rep. Muktar Betara, commended Wike for the ongoing transformation of the nation’s capital.
Just as other lawmakers took turns to applaud the exemplary performance and dedication of the FCT Minister in the delivery of the dividend of democracy to FCT residents. Which they said are in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
In his budget presentation, Wike appealed to the lawmakers to approve the N1.78 trillion FCT Statutory Budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year.
He explained that out of the N1.78 trillion, N1.28 trillion was earmarked for capital projects, representing 72.3 per cent. While N494.1 billion was set aside for recurrent expenditure representing 27.7 per cent.
source: NAN