Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has approved the removal of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) from the Treasury Savings Account (TSA) to enable the FCT to carry out developmental projects and provide infrastructure.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, disclosed this yesterday at a press conference in Abuja.
He said the President also ratified the creation of the FCT Civil Service Commission and the establishment of FCT Women Affairs Secretariat to be headed by a Mandate Secretary.
Wike said he convinced President Tinubu to sanction the removal of the FCTA from TSA because FCTA was not a revenue generating agency of the federal government.
“The Central Bank cannot give us loans, and even the IGR are spent as they come, which you cannot tangibly do anything with it.
“I said to Mr. President if you want FCTA to really carry out its developmental projects and infrastructure, then, it must come out of TSA. We are not a revenue generating agency of the federal government. What financial leakages are you blocking? The revenue comes in, and it will go to the CBN and we need money to do projects, I can’t go to the CBN to give us money, and can’t go to the commercial banks. They will ask ‘how do you pay back?’ So, I said we must pull out, that’s the only way we can survive it. You will see that from next year it will be projects upon projects in FCT, and what you saw in Port Harcourt, Abuja would be something else. So for us, it is one of the happiest days, and we have to thank Mr. President for foresight,” Wike said.
He also said the establishment of FCT Civil Service Commission would enhance career progression of the civil servants, who usually peaked as Directors with no real opportunity of attaining the position of permanent secretary.
Wike stressed that one of the reasons why he accepted to work with the President was because he (Tinubu) has the capacity and political will to do those things that people are afraid of doing.
“The problem of this country is partly leadership because so many people don’t want to take action as they believe that some people will be angry. There is no action you take that everybody will be happy. But what is important is that you are guided by law and your conscience,” he added.
