The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, says the FCT Administration will aggressively drive revenue to complete all ongoing projects.
Wike stated this in Abuja on Friday, after inspecting ongoing projects planned for the inauguration in May, marking 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, the access road, and the left-wing service lane from the 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 fulfill their tax obligations.
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 the prudent management of available resources.
“That is why we will aggressively drive our revenue to achieve more and deliver more projects.
“That is why I laugh when people complain that we are revoking the Certificate of Occupancy (COO).
“People do not understand that it is from such payments and taxes that we will be able to carry out meaningful projects that positively impact 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 fulfil their tax obligations voluntarily.
Speaking on the ongoing projects, Wike said that most of them 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, which was awarded in 2014 and will be completed in May.
“I never believed that the project would be completed in May, but you can see how the contractor assures us with authority that the project will 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 fulfilled Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, adding that FCT residents were happy for the ‘promises made and promises fulfilled.’