Wike vows aggressive revenue drive to complete ongoing projects in FCT

By Philip Yatai

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration will be very aggressive in its revenue drive to complete all ongoing projects.

Wike stated this in Abuja on Friday, after inspecting  ongoing projects planned for inauguration  in May ,to mark  President Bola  Tinubu’s second year in office.

Some of the projects inspected included the ongoing construction of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal and the access road and the left-wing service lane from Apo roundabout to Wassa.

Also inspected was the ongoing construction of a 16-kilometre road from Idu to Dei Dei.

He said that the Administration would be very aggressive in its revenue drive by ensuring that all taxpayers in the FCT fullfil  his or her tax obligation.

He, however, said that the tax aggressive revenue drive would be within the limits of the law.

The minister attributed the successes being recorded in the delivery of projects to prudent management of available resources.

“That is  why we are going to be very aggressive in our revenue drive to be able to achieve more and deliver more projects.

“That is why when people complain that we are revoking Certificate of Occupancy (C o O), I laugh.

“People do not understand that it is from such payments and taxes that we will be able to carry out projects that are meaningful; that have a positive impact on the lives of our people.

“So, we are appealing to our people, it is not politics,i t is about being responsible, being responsive. Government has given you land for you to pay annual ground rent for us to use for the development of the FCT,” he said.

According to him,  the FCTA wishes to take development projects to all areas of the territory.

He, however, said this could only be  possible if residents learn to voluntarily fulfil  their tax obligations.

Speaking on the ongoing projects, Wike expressed that most of the projects would be inaugurated in May to celebrate Tinubu’s second year in office.

He said he was particularly impressed with the pace of the Idu-Dei Dei Road project, adding that the project, which was awarded in 2014, would be completed in May.

“I never believed that the project would be completed in May, but you can see how the contractor is assuring us with authority that the project would be delivered in May.

“We have been to the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, which will be completed by September. We have also been to the Apo-Wassa Road on the Outer Southern Expressway. It will also be completed in May,” he said.

He said that the delivery of the projects was a fulfilment of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that FCT residents were happy for the ‘promises made and promises fulfilled’. (NAN)