FEDERAL Capital Territory (FCT) 2015/2016 budget presentation at the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ended unceremoniously over unsatisfactory disbursement of funds for some projects.
The Committee has also declared to investigate the diversion of N1.5b meant for compensation and resettlement of indigenes affected by the Centenary village project.
At the continuation of the FCT budget defense by the Herman Hembe-led Committee during the week, the lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the inability of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to justify the huge disbursement of funds to one of the contractors handling some projects for the FCT.
The Committee was further infuriated by the failure of the FCTA to furnish it with documents earlier requested, including Bill of Quantity for the residences of the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the United Nations (UN) building.
The Committee was concerned that level of work on the various projects does not reflect the amount of money already sunk into them.
Vice President residence contract was awarded at N7.1b out which N6.2b was already paid while the rehabilitation of UN building awarded at N5.1b had N3.9b already committed to it.
Also, the lawmakers were at a loss over the residences of National Assembly presiding officers that have gulped N12b out of the N24b initial contract sum.
While insisting that the figures given for the projects were outrageous, the Committee expressed dismay that despite collecting so much, the contractors could still abandon the projects.
Committee’s Deputy Chairman, Serguis Ogun said it is imperative for all agencies of government to realise that it is no longer business as usual.
“We are not rubber stamp that you can manipulate us the way you feel, the era of dolling out money for agencies without proper cross checking is over.”
On the investigation of N1.5b meant for compensation and resettlement, the Committee said its decision was as a result of protest by the original occupants of Centenary village when it paid an oversight visit to some projects in the Federal Capital.
The Committee further emphasised the need for an investigation due to complaints from the contractors handling the projects that progress was stunted as a result of resistance and protests by the indigenes over compensation, in addition to poor funding by the government.
The contractors had told the Committee that the protests to the contractors by the affected people were not properly directed as they (contractors) have no issues with compensation.
Bitrus Jiasalo, member representing Abuja Municpal Council/Bwari Federal Constituency of FCT, who expressed disappointment with the compensation matter, regretted that officials of FCDA were only paying lip service to the issue.
“It is disheartening that the engineers of FCDA are all talking of settlement of villagers whereas nothing was paid to them and we cannot even see any plan for integration by the FCT administration as claimed.
“I know that N1.5b was released by the Federal government for compensation of villagers in Centenary Village by the same FCDA yet no money was paid to the indigenes. We are going to investigate this matter,” Jisalo said.
In his reaction to the issue of compensation and resettlement, FCDA’s Director (Engineering), Adamu Abu said the initial agreement between the FCDA and the indigenes was to integrate them and not to pay them compensation in monetary form.