I never said Governors are overcrowding Abuja – FCT Minister

                             
Federal Capital Territory Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has debunked reports that he said state governors are overcrowding the nation’s capital.
Muhammad Hazat Sule, his chief press secretary in a statement on Monday, recalled that Senator Mohammed while answering questions during the budget defence on Thursday at the National Assembly Complex said, “The influx of people including high profile political office holders are contributing to the overcrowding and over-stretching of infrastructure and social services in the Federal Capital Territory.



He said that funding required for the provision of infrastructure and services in the Federal Capital Territory is enormous; revealing that about 100,000 destitute and beggars were repatriated to their various states of origin but returned to Abuja as soon as they were dropped.
Thus, according to him, there is no way the Minister would contemplate saying that Governors are overcrowding the city as they are usually in Abuja for one official engagement or the other.
“In order to put the record straight, at the occasion, Senator Mohammed revealed that the FCT Administration requires a total sum of N470,348,913,896.95 to pay and complete 17 key national projects in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“He therefore, called on the National Assembly to assist in the quick passage of the FCT Property Tax bill where about N500 billion is expected to be generated annually to the coffers of the FCT Administration.” The CPS said.

The CPS said his boss also called on the National Assembly to pass the Bill for the establishment of the FCT Board of Internal Revenue to enable the Administration block all revenue leakages and pay development partners for services rendered.
While emphasizing that the sum of N30.410 billion has been earmarked in the 2014 National Budget which may not allow the FCT to operate optimally, the Minister assured that the FCT Administration would strive to facilitate and attain its goals of creating a city that would compete favourably with the best in the world.