FCT Area Councils Share N2.2b Revenue, Excess Crude…

By Patrick Osadebamwen
The Federal Capital Territory Area Councils Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) on Tuesday distributed N2,213,498,696.45 among the six area councils and other stakeholders in the FCT being revenue that accrued for the month of May 2013. The amount represents an increase of N52,966,708.99 (about 2.5 per cent) over the N2,160,531,987.47 shared by the six area councils of Abaji, Abuja Municipal, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali for the month of April 2013.
Chairman of FCT Area Councils JAAC and Honourable Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, who confirmed this during the Committee’s meeting in Abuja, said Value Added Tax (VAT) accounted for the bulk of the revenue from the Federation Account. She gave the breakdown of the allocation as: N1.059 billion from VAT, N821.59 million from Statutory Revenue Allocation, N250.35 million from Excess Crude, N56.77 million from Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and N25.54 million being refund by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. The FCT Area Councils JAAC, according to the minister, transferred N905.89 million to the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) for the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries in the six area councils. The Committee, in line with statutory requirement, also transferred N95.04 million to the FCT Area Councils Pension Board (ACPB) being 15 per cent pension fund, N89.93 million for LEA Teachers Entitlement, N59.32 million for FCT Immunisation Plus days, N48.92 million being contribution for health insurance, N36.87 million being contribution for sanitation in the six area councils and N22.13 million to the FCT Area Councils Service Commission being one per cent training fund.
Abuja Municipal Area Council received the lion share of the revenue allocation of N199.85 million for the month of May 2013, while Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils got N169.12 million and N157 million, respectively. The FCT Area Councils Joint Account Allocation Committee also disbursed N151.35 million to Kuje Area Council, N138.61 million to Kwali Area Council and N138.59 million to Abaji Area Council. On SURE-P funds, Abuja Municipal got N16.77 million, Bwari (N9.28 million), Gwagwalada (N8.50 million), Kwali (N7.79 million), Kuje (N7.45 million) and Abaji (N6.96 million).
The Minister of State for the FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide, also hinted that the Administration would next week commence biometric audit of all the workers in the Area Councils. “We have gone through the procurement processes and have engaged a consultant to undertake a biometric audit of all workers in the Area Councils. We want to ensure that the workers in the Area Councils are genuine and also make sure that they are qualified for the positions they are holding,” said Akinjide, who chaired the monthly FCT Area Councils Joint Account Allocation Committee meeting. Earlier in her address, the FCT Minister of State congratulated the newly elected chairmen of the Area Councils and advised to set aside politics and work for the betterment of the people in their respective councils. “The FCTA Administration will work with the newly elected Area Council chairmen to build a plural and inclusive society in the territory and make FCT a model for other States in the Federation. “The welfare of the people remains the greatest law and the greatest manifesto above party, section or creed. We have to put politics aside and work for the people by giving them dividends of democracy,” said Akinjide, who oversees the area councils and satellite towns in FCT. The JAAC meeting was attended by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Engr. John Obinna Chukwu; Commissioner representing FCT in Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Mr. Philibus Bussa; Director of Admin and Finance, Area Council Services Secretariat, Alhaji Yusuf Tsaiyabu; Abuja Municipal Area Council Chairman, Hon. Micah Jiba; Bwari Area Council Chairman, Hon. Yohanna Peter Ushafa; Kuje Area Council Chairman, Hon. Ishyaku Tete Shaban; Kwali Area Council Chairman, Hon. Daniel Ibrahim; Abaji Area Council Chairman, Hon. Yahaya Garba Gawu, and Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman, Hon. Abubakar Jibrin Giri amongst others