Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has called on the House of Representatives Committee on FCT to support and consolidate ongoing reforms by ensuring a speedy passage of bills that are critical to the development of the territory.
Wike stated this during the inaugural meeting of the 10th National Assembly’s House Committee on FCT in Abuja, a statement by his principal press secretary, permanent secretary’s office, Emmanuel Tortiv, said.
The bills that need urgent passage are, the Abuja Geographic Information System Bill; FCT College of Nursing and Midwifery Establishment Bill; FCTA Metropolitan Council Establishment Bill 2019; and the FCT College of Agriculture and other related Bill.
Others are a Bill to provide for the FCT HIV/AIDS Control Agency; FCT Orphanage (Registration & Regulatory) Agency Bill 2020; FCT Social Health Insurance Scheme Bill as well as the FCT Educational Resource Centre (Establishment) Bill 2019.
He noted that with a territory that now has two experienced revenue generation gurus in the persons of Wike and the House Committee chairman, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Betara, the territory is now better poised to make more revenue than ever before.
To achieve the objective, the minister called for the collaboration of the legislative arm of government saying “The reform measures we are currently implementing are aimed at enhancing the quality of life for residents of the FCT and addressing the challenges posed by our rapidly evolving society.”
Earlier in his opening remarks, the chairman of the House Committee on FCT, Aliyu Betara expressed hope that with the revenue drive of the minister, the revenue target of the FCT in 2023 could easily be surpassed.
He assured the FCT leadership of a seamless working relationship towards greater advancement of the territory.
The committee chairman further expressed delight at President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove FCT from the Single Treasury Account and the creation of the FCT Civil Service Commission.
In their separate contributions, most of the Honourable Members present at the Meeting took turns asking the FCT Minister to decongest the City Centre and to carry out the restoration of the city’s Master plan with a human face among several other things.
The permanent secretary was accompanied by the acting director of Treasury, Mrs Nanre Emeje, and the director of office of the permanent secretary, Mr. Samuel U. Atang.