FCTA shares N3bn allocation to Area Councils, stakeholders

BY UKPONO UKPONG

The six Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory and other stakeholders have received the sum of N3,015,446,815.55Billion as their share of statutory allocation for the month of January, 2023.

This figure represents a 20.3 percent decrease when compared to the N3,786,194,845.78billiin shared in the month of December 2022.

Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, the FCT Minister of State, who was represented by the FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, at the 175th Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), meeting, expressed satisfaction over the judicious use of the funds by the area council chairmen.

However, a breakdown of the figures released during the JAAC meeting indicates that the sum of N723,868,728.40million was made available for distribution to the six area councils, while the sum of N2,291,578,087.15billion was made available to other stakeholders, bringing the total sum to N3,015,446,815.55billion.

Similarly, distributions to the six area councils shows that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), received N163,631,841.79million, while Gwagwalada got N109,288,213.43million and Kuje received N245,474,216.86million.

Other area councils include, Bwari Area Council which received N97,895,762.75million, Abaji got N110,623,487.51million while Kwali received N96,955,206.07million, bringing the total sum to N723,868,728.40million disbursed to the six area councils.

On the other hand, distribution to other critical stakeholders include: Primary School Teachers which gulped N1,927,095,222.79billion, 15 percent Pension Funds took N226,478,989.57million, One percent Training Fund gulped N30,154,469.16million, while 10 percent Employer Pension Contribution gulped N107,849,405.63million, bringing the total sum to N2,291,578,087.15billion.

At the meeting, the minister who expressed displeasure over the poor sanitation in most of the area councils, directed the Coordinator of the Satellite Towns Development Department to liaise with the council chairmen with a view to finding a lasting solution to the poor sanitation in the satellite towns.

Aliyu, acknowledged that the refuse dumps in the satellite towns are quite challenging, for the department to cope with.

According to her; “there is urgent need for the council chairmen to take part of the cleaning responsibility in the satellite towns”.