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| FCT |
The Senate has begun investigation into the allocation of plots in Maitama
Hill in the nation’s capital territory to former President Goodluck Jonathan,
former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison- Madueke and other
top government functionaries in the last dispensation. Chairman of the
Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Dino Melaye, yesterday, disclosed that the
Senate has put a stop to any development in the area, which he said had been
reserved as green area.
He spoke
when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Malam
Muhammad Bello appeared before the FCT Committee to defend the 2016
budget. Melaye, who claimed that the area was supposed to serve as tourist
attraction, alleged that other beneficiaries of plots in the area included
former Justice Minister and Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Bello
Adoke, SAN; former Bauchi State governor, Isa Yuguda; late National
Security Adviser, Andrew Owoeye Azazi; former Minister of Trade and Investment,
Olusegun Aganga, among others.
The
Senate also tongue lashed the FCTA for the recurrence of the design and
construction of Vice President’s residence as well as that of the United
Nations and the National Assembly in budgets and decried a situation where cost
of variation was higher than the real cost of the project.
The
budget proposal for the residence reads: “Design and Construction of Vice
President’s Residence: This project was awarded in 2009 at a contract sum of
N7,065,665,742.40. The sum of N500,000,000.00 was appropriated in 2015
for the project while the sum of N55,422,888.19 was accessed. The total
sum paid to date on this project is N6,270,910,184.90 with the sum
of N794,755,557.60 as amount required to complete the project. This
project has attained 88.7 per cent level of completion. The sum of
N500,607,384.17 is proposed for the 2016 fiscal year.
For
National Assembly Presiding Officers and Guest House, the Minister said, “
Design and Construction of National Assembly Presiding Officers’
Residence & Guest House: The project has two components awarded to
numerous contractors at a total contract sum of N27,19.2,777,630.86. The
project entails the provision of residences for Presiding Officers of the
National Assembly, which comprises Main Building, ADC’s House, Guest
House, Staff Quarters, Gate House, Banquet Hall, Chapel, Mosque and Power
House.
The
sum of N2,000,000,000.00 was appropriated for this project in the 2015 fiscal
year, while the sum of Nl,763,341,422.14 was actually released. The total sum
of N13,578,469,394.56 has been paid to date with a balance sum of
N13,614,308,236.30 required to complete the Project. The project is 500/0 level
of completion. For the year 2016, the sum of N3,500,000,000.00 is proposed for
the Project.”
The FCTA
however disclosed that the total outstanding liabilities for projects under the
FCT National Priority Budget stood at N99,895,541,963.73.
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