By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)has sealed the Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Character Commission, over the waste management debts owed Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).
Addressing journalists during the exercise.on Tuesday, a director of AEPB, Engr Osilama Briamah, said the affected agencies refused to pay for the services rendered by the board.
He explained that the board is being owed huge amount without response from the defaulters.
“We tried to negotiate to have a better way to achieve results but there was no positive response; we gave them payment plan but many of them refused to take the opportunity seriously, the board then resorted 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.
Briamah revealed that a senior magistrate court sitting in Wuse II, Abuja, had served the defendants with summons to appear before it on March 30, 2022, but they failed to honour the court.
The breakdown of the debts showed that Federal ministry of Education owed N25,838,275; Federal Ministry of Defence -N17,220,775.00; and Federal Character Commission–N10,128,906.25.
Others include Civil Service Commission–N2,451,649.50; Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission—N21,683,750.00; Federal Ministry of Health-N14,204,843.75, Federal Ministry of Trade & Investment—N19,222,287.50; Federal Ministry of Works— N9,998,625.00; Nigeria Security and civil Defence Corps- N16,583,031.25.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Ikahro Attah, who led the enforcement said the operation followed the initiative put together by the minister and permanent secretary to recover the extreme debts owed the board.
Attah stated that the FCTA is worried about the high amount being owed agency.
“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 tied down, it’s wrong for people not to pay for services rendered,” Attah added.
