The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has started generating over N200 billion annually through its aggressive internally generated revenue (IGR) drive.
The FCT Minister, Muhammed Bello, disclosed this Thursday while featuring at the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
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He said the FCT now rated second in terms of IGR drive, intends to beat Lagos as the highest revenue generating state in the country.
Bello also said the sum of N1 billion (N500 million each) had been set aside to renovate the National Mosque and National Christian Centre, to make them presentable tourists sites for visitors into the city of Abuja.
He added that the administration was equally renovating the Federal Secretariat and National Assembly, saying the sitting arrangements in the two chambers would be changed.
On the security threat which uncompleted buildings in the territory posed amid population explosion and expensive rent, he said the government was handling the matter without creating “societal upheaval”.
On the issue of unoccupied estates in Abuja, Bello said developers built houses in places far from the city while charging exorbitant prices.
On security, the minister said the FCT remained the most secure part of Nigeria today despite few incidents of insecurity, stating that security agencies were doing “extremely” well.
He said, “For instance, we have, through the security measures burst several cells of Boko Haram within the FCT.
“Searching areas where they were and the kind of businesses they were doing and how they were able to blend easily within the wider community is something that I cannot divulge here.”
Mohammed, however, lamented that the FCT criminal justice system was fraught with challenges, noting that its three correctional facilities were filled up and could not accommodate more detainees.
He also sought the arrest of influential people seeking bail for criminals.
“Quite frankly, I am not aware that when street urchins are arrested, people seek their release. But more importantly, this is where citizens monitoring and engagement comes in. I think if situations like these arise, it’s very important for people to speak out.
“Identify those influential people that try to pervert justice because that is the only way we can really sanitize our society. Whoever goes there to even seek for bail must also be arrested, quite frankly,” he said.
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