FCT Gets Reps’ Approval Of N278.3bn While Custom Gets N238.1bn

The House of Representatives has approved a N278.3bn for the Federal Capital Territory as well as the Federal Capital Territory Area Councils for 2020.

The lawmakers also approved the total sum of N238.1bn for the Nigerian Custom Service as 2020 Budget.

Reports for the approval of the sums for the separate agencies were presented on Friday at Plenary, by Chairmen of the Committees on Customs and FCT, Reps. Abdullahi Garba and Yuguda Kila respectively.

The breakdown of the budget for Customs shows that the sum of N98,606, 217,521.97, is for Personnel Cost, N15,952,305,336, 72 for overhead cost, while N123,590,802,974.40 is for Capital Projects for the year ending, December 2020.

The considered and passed budget for FCT shows a breakdown of Capital of N160,133,401,417 billion and a “Grand Total Recurrent and Capital of N278, 355,365,947billion.

The House also considered a report on a Bill, to establish a special Fund to carry out repairs on Federal Roads.

The Fund, if established, will hollow out the statutory essence, of the already existing Federal Roads Maintenance Agency(FERMA).

FERMA is the current agency, tasked by law to maintain Federal roads, using funds approved by the National Assembly and released to it, by the Executive.

The sponsors of the Bill, which is at its last stage to becoming a law, are Reps Toby Okechukwu (PDP-Enugu) and Ossai Nicholas Ossai(PDP-Delta), Deputy Minority Leader and Chairman House Committee on Treaties and Protocols, respectively.

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The money Bills were considered and approved by the Committee on Supplies (Panel on Financial/Expenditure Bills), headed by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase (Plateau-APC).

While the Special Roads Fund Bill, got the nod by a Committee of the whole(Panel on Non-Expenditure Bills), preparatory to its final consideration by a harmonisation committee, comprising of Senators and House of Representatives members before it is passed to the president to sign into law. That is expected to come in January 2020.