As part of efforts to scale-up the revenue generation of area councils and other stakeholders, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu has called on revenue agencies in the FCT Administration and area councils to synergize.
Specifically, the minister appealed to the Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage ( DOAS) and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to ensure that pending cases in court regarding revenue generation are resolved amicably.
The minister who made the appeal at the 147th Joint Area Councils Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting noted that such prolonged litigation has further compounded the inflow of revenue to the councils, adding that the councils cannot make any meaningful progress with the lean monthly revenue allocations from the federation account.
Aliyu, who presided over the JAAC meeting, also used the occasion to appeal to chairmen of the area councils to critically look into their wage bills by ensuring that officials without portfolios are jettisoned with a view to reducing the financial burden on the system.
“It is high time we take the bull by the horn and face the reality. If there are some people we bring on board for political consideration, this is the right time to call them and explain to them. We have to tell ourselves the basic truth. With the dwindling revenue generation it will be difficult for the area councils to function optimally.
“On this note, I want to also appeal to the Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to resolve their feud because it has impacted negatively on the revenue base. There is need to strengthen our institutions so that they would outlive us,” she affirmed.
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has disbursed a total sum of N1,908,624,617.57 billion to the six Area Councils in the FCT and other stakeholders as their share of statutory allocation for the month of October 2020.
Out of this figure, the sum of N286,836,053.49 was made available for distribution to the six area councils, while the sum of N1,621,788, 564.08, was made available for other stakeholders, bringing the total to N1,908,624,617.57 billion.
The figure also shows that Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), received N460,108,940.35 million, while Gwagwalada got N294,512,344.32 million and Kuje received N284,029,534.73 million. Similarly, Bwari Area Council received N317,895,292.29 million, Abaji got N266,252,308.25 million and Kwali received N285,826,647.63 million.
Furthermore, distribution to other stakeholders include: Primary Teachers which gulped N1,268,373,922.70 billion, 15 percent Pension Funds took N226, 478, 989.57 million, 1 percent Training Fund gulped N19, 086, 246.18 million and 10 percent Employer Pension Contribution gulped N107, 849, 405.63 million.
