Authority of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in the early hours of Tuesday sealed the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Character Commission and Merit House Maitama and Murg plaza over ten billion naira debts waste management owed to Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).
Director of the Board, Engr Osilama Briamah while addressing journalists during the exercise, said the Board provided waste management and other environmental services for their service providers and they refused to pay.
He explained that the board had huge amount laying without response from the defaulters.
“We try to negotiate to have a better way to achieve results but there was no positive response, we have given them payment plan but many of them refused to take this opportunity serious, the board then resort to legal means to recover the debts.
The board got court orders to seal the premises” he said.
According to him, the exercise which has just begun will cover all public and private offices owing the board.
A senior magistrate court sitting in Wuse II, Abuja had served the defendants with summons to appear before the court on March 30th, 2022 but they failed to honour the court.
The breakdown of the debts showed that Federal Ministry of Education owed 25,838,275, Federal Ministry of Defence –17,220,775.00 and Federal character commission—10,128,906.25.
Others include Civil service commission–2,451,649.50, Revenue mobilisation and fiscal commission—21,683,750.00
Federal ministry of Health 14,204,843.75, Fed ministry of Trade & Investment—-19,222,287.50, Federal ministry of Works — 9,998,625.00, Nigeria Security and civil Defence corps Wuse–16,583,031.25.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Ikahro Attah who led the enforcement said the operation followed the initiative put together by the minister of FCT and the Permanent Secretary to recover the extreme debts owed the board.
Attah stated that the FCT Administration is worried about the high amount being owed FCTA.
“FCT Administration needs enough fund to build infrastructure and keep the city running. The administration has decided to go after the Ministries, parastatals, agencies and private individuals.
“We cannot wait to see government money tie down, is wrong for people not to pay for services rendered” he said.
Dominica Nwabufo
