Tinubu defended the TSA FCT exemption, praising Wike’s infrastructure efforts

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 provision and positioned Abuja for rapid development.

The President said granting greater financial autonomy to the FCTA had eliminated bureaucratic delays that previously hampered project implementation, allowing the government to respond to the capital’s development needs more efficiently.

Tinubu made the remarks on Monday while inaugurating the new Annex Office of the Benchers’ Board and 10 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 commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for translating the government’s vision into concrete 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 exclude the FCTA from the TSA was deliberate and has yielded measurable results.

“When we withdrew the FCT Administration from the Treasury Single Account (TSA), there were skeptics.

“There are parties who question the wisdom of this financial release. But we did it because we know that regional governments must have the liquidity, speed and flexibility of companies to interact with financial institutions and implement important projects without bureaucratic obstacles. Currently, the results are very striking,” said the President.

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Tinubu noted that the ongoing transformation in Abuja demonstrated the effectiveness of the policy, adding that Wike had fulfilled his mandate to reposition the Federal Capital Territory through extensive infrastructure renewal and institutional reforms.

He said the minister’s achievements not only include building roads, but also strengthening important public institutions, citing the resolution of long-standing land documentation issues at the Nigerian Law School through the issuance of Certificates 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 past three years, the scale of infrastructure development, urban renewal and project implementation in the FCT has been unmatched,” he said.

The President also expressed concern that the Executive’s investments in judicial infrastructure could be interpreted as an infringement on judicial independence, and emphasized that such interventions were consistent with the government’s constitutional responsibilities.

“Let me be clear: providing infrastructure for the legal and judicial community is not interference with the independence of other government institutions.

“Rather, it is the constitutional and collaborative duty of the Executive to ensure that those who interpret and enforce our laws are provided with an environment that promotes operational efficiency and excellence,” Tinubu said.

Speaking about the Federal Government’s commitment to legal education, the President described the new staffing as the first phase of a wider effort to improve facilities at the Nigerian Law School.

He revealed that work is also being carried out to build a new auditorium, add student dormitories, and digitize the institution’s academic and administrative systems.

Tinubu added that similar investments were also being made in the justice sector, including the construction of the Abuja Divisional Court of Appeal, magistrate courts and residential accommodation for judicial officers.

The President’s remarks come amid his administration’s decision to exclude the FCTA from the Treasury Single Account, a policy introduced in 2015 to concentrate government revenues in a single account aimed at promoting fiscal transparency and accountability.