President Bola Tinubu has justified his administration’s decision to remove the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), saying the policy has accelerated infrastructure delivery and positioned Abuja for rapid development.
The President said granting the FCTA greater financial autonomy has eliminated bureaucratic delays that previously hindered project execution, enabling the administration to respond more efficiently to the capital city’s development needs.
Tinubu made the remarks on Monday while commissioning the new Office Annex of the Body of Benchers and 10 units of four-bedroom staff quarters at the Nigerian Law School in Bwari, Abuja.
Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the President also praised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for translating the administration’s vision into tangible projects across the nation’s capital.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, Tinubu said the decision to exempt the FCTA from the TSA was deliberate and has already produced measurable results.
“When we pulled the FCT Administration out of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), there were skeptics.
“There were those who questioned the wisdom of that financial liberation. But we did it because we knew that local administration must have the liquidity, the speed and the corporate flexibility to interface with financial institutions and deliver critical projects without bureaucratic strangulation. Today, the results are glaring,” the President said.
Tinubu noted that the ongoing transformation of Abuja demonstrates the effectiveness of the policy, adding that Wike has fulfilled the mandate of repositioning the Federal Capital Territory through extensive infrastructure renewal and institutional reforms.
He said the minister’s achievements extend beyond road construction to strengthening key public institutions, citing the resolution of the Nigerian Law School’s longstanding land documentation issues through the issuance of its Certificate of Occupancy.
“When I appointed Minister Wike, I gave him a clear mandate to transform Abuja into a modern, functional and world-class capital city.
“Over the last three years, the scale of infrastructural development, urban renewal and project delivery in the FCT has been unmatched,” he said.
The President also addressed concerns that the Executive’s investment in judicial infrastructure could be interpreted as an encroachment on the independence of the judiciary, insisting that such interventions are consistent with the constitutional responsibilities of government.
“Let me be absolutely clear: the provision of infrastructure for the legal community and the judiciary is not an interference in the independence of another arm of government.
“Rather, it is a constitutional and collaborative duty of the Executive to ensure that those who interpret and uphold our laws are provided with an environment that fosters operational efficiency and excellence,” Tinubu said.
Speaking on the Federal Government’s commitment to legal education, the President described the newly commissioned staff quarters as the first phase of broader efforts to improve facilities at the Nigerian Law School.
He disclosed that work is also underway on a new auditorium, additional student hostels and the digitalisation of the institution’s academic and administrative systems.
Tinubu added that similar investments are being undertaken across the justice sector, including the construction of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, magistrates’ courts and residential accommodation for judicial officers.
The President’s remarks come against the backdrop of his administration’s decision to exempt the FCTA from the Treasury Single Account, a policy introduced in 2015 to centralise government revenues in a single account aimed at promoting fiscal transparency and accountability.
(Ripples)
