FCT: N150m Budgeted for Prostitutes, Destitutes’ Rehab, Not N5bn

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, has stated that the amount budgeted for prostitutes and rehabilitation of destitutes in the FCT 2013 budget is N150million and not N5 billion as reported in the media.
He therefore called on all residents of FCT and indeed, entire Nigerians  to totally disregard the reports about the 2013 budget of FCT, especially as they pertain to destitute and prostitutes rehabilitation, saying  they are outright misrepresentation of the facts and figures of the budget.
A statement signed by the Special Assistant (Media) to the FCT Minister, Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi, made available to THISDAY yesterday said: “Following various misleading media reports arising from last Thursday’s Senate debate of the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s 2013 budgetary proposals purporting that the sum of N5billion was proposed for rehabilitation of prostitutes and destitute in Abuja, we are compelled to set the records straight as they concern the appropriation.”
According to the statement rehabilitation of destitutes and commercial sex workers (prostitutes) is part of the schedule of the Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
“However, the empirical truth is that the entire budget of the Social Development Secretariat for the 2013 fiscal year is N4.7billion only. Out of this amount, the sum of N931.3 million is for personnel cost; N1.6billion for overhead expenditure and N2.2billion for capital expenditure.
The sum of N150million only out of this amount is for evacuation and rehabilitation of destitute, prostitutes (commercial sex workers) and other vulnerable persons.”
The statement stated further that the duties of the social development secretariat are quite wide. “The mandate of the secretariat goes far beyond the task of rehabilitating prostitutes, beggars, hawkers and other groups of destitute in the FCT. The schedule of the Secretariat encompasses improvement of the economic well-being of FCT residents through the implementation of initiatives that help in the empowerment of all vulnerable persons and groups in the FCT,” it said.
“It is also part of the mandate of the Social Development Secretariat to provide succor and nurture for women, youths, children, widows and widowers in the FCT. The Secretariat equally provides welfare for persons with disability, orphans and the elderly. Other aspects of the mandate of the Secretariat include promoting sports and sporting activities in the FCT as well as harnessing the culture and tourism of the FCT. For instance, the Secretariat undertakes development of sports facilities and sporting talents hunt as well as management and upgrading sports facilities including the popular Old Parade Ground, Garki, Abuja.
“Again, the fact that there are seven departments under the Social Development Secretariat attests to the widespread nature of its mandate. The departments under the Secretariat are Sports; Arts and Culture; Youths; Tourism; Gender; Welfare; and Administration. This fiscal year, 2013, the Secretariat is to commence the building of Community Sports Centres in all the six Area Councils (LGAs) of FCT beginning with Kuje, Kwali and Bwari Area Councils.
“It is ironical that the misleading reports about the budget for Social Development Secretariat are making wrong waves at a time when arrangements are being finalised for the commissioning this Tuesday, February 5, 2013, of the ultra-modern Youth Support Centre at Nyanya in Abuja Municipal Council built by the Secretariat. The centre has facilities for vocational training, ICT training, printing press, five-a side football pitch, basket ball court and others.”