By: Jamila Musa
The recent call by the FCT Minister, Mallam Mohammadu Bello for a special funding arrangement for Abuja, the Federal capital territory is timely and stating the obvious and this fact cannot be overemphasized. Abuja, the Federal capital territory is short changed in terms of funding and this is a fact that we must all agree to and it is time for all lovers of the reality called Abuja to join hands with the Minister in supporting this concrete recommendation for a special funding arrangement for the city.
This special funding call and recommendations is intended to give this important city a befitting developmental status articulation of a road map for its growth and developments supported by all the three tiers of government.This recommendations would when accepted and implemented would be a rapid and systematic departure from the present funding realities which makes Abuja a sole responsibility of the Federal government. We must therefore agree now that the present realities in respect of Abuja,s development makes it critically pertinent that it is time that we accord the territory in terms of funding a special one as the first and major issue militating against its total development is that of funding.
In reality, the issue of funding for the Federal capital is suppose not to be an issue in contention considering the importance of the FCT to the nation. Apart from the diversity of people with permanent residency, the city is today home to every state governments office as well as official quarters to governors and their private homes. Since the Federal capital moved to Abuja from Lagos, most political office holders often abandon their primary constituencies and instead adopts Abuja as their place of abode because it is rightly a city for all.It is today a known fact that once people check into Abuja they hardly check out and this is a notorious fact. It is agreed that the Minister,s highlighting the need for special funding for the FCT. is a welcome development because he is once again stating the obvious as our nation can no longer live in denial of this fact.
The founding fathers of the territory decided to allocate 1 percent from the federation account to its developments.It was regarded only as the take-off seeds funding that launched the city on the path of rapid growth and development that made it the cynosure of all global eyes that prompted a foreign journalist to describe the city as Abuja, Nigeria,s gleaming capital city.This initial funding arrangement by our founding father was maintained until sometime in the year 2004 when it was ruled that the 1 percent should be derived from the Federal government share of the federation account only.That decision could only have been made in error because Abuja is not a federal government entity but the federation,s entity for all Nigerians.
However, by domiciling the responsibility for the development of Abuja in the federal government,s share from the federal government,s share of the revenue alone, it makes the FCT. solely the federal government,s responsibility.This situation should not be so.The call by the FCT. Minister Mallam Mohammad Bello for a special funding arrangement for the FCT. goes to show that the present funding arrangement is totally misplaced at this time based on present realities on ground.This call is also a recommendation that all the federating units in the country must also contribute to this new proposed funding arrangement for the FCT. because it is their collective responsibility.
The reality is that the funding arrangement today for the FCT. is grossly inadequate and needs to be reviewed because at inception the Abuja projects was scheduled to be completed in 25 years.Today however almost about 50 years after,we have as a Nation only achieved about 30 percent development of the FCT. because of its inadequate funding.That perhaps explains why development in the over 8,000 square kilometres of the Federal territory is still within some few phase of its plan.
The call and request by the FCT Minister is a patriotic call and it is therefore germane that the FCT. should be restored urgently as a federation projects and be funded special from the federation account and accorded special funds with the three tiers of governments contributing towards its development.This request by the FCT. Minister is a recommendation for an upward review of its direct allocation from what it is right now to something higher and special because it deserves it.The reason for the increase in percentage as demanded by the FCT. minister is firstly the aggravated cost of development and secondly,the upsurge in migration of Nigerians from all parts of the country to Abuja which is consistently putting a stress on its existing infrastructures.
The city at the drawing board was designed to accommodate half a million people but by today,s estimates over 5 million people live in the Territory. It was on that note that the Minister’s prayer that the federal government and the Nationals Assembly immediately commence the process through legislation for this special fund arrangement for the FCT. The source for this funding is immediately to return to the status quo ante, and that is when the funding for the FCT. was the responsibility for all tiers of government because Abuja is fast becoming a mega city of repute.
Musa writes from Abuja
