FCTA seals Ministry of Works, Federal Character Commission over debt

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Character Commission, Merit house Maitama and Murg plaza over waste management debts owed to Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).

Addressing journalists during the exercise, Director of the board, Engr Osilama Briamah, said the affected agencies refused to pay for the services of the board.

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He explained that the board had huge amounts of unpaid charges 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.

A senior magistrates’ court sitting in Wuse II, Abuja had served the defendants with summons to appear before it on March 30, 2022, but they reportedly 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 and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Wuse, N16,583,031.25.

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 was 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 tied down, it’s wrong for people not to pay for services rendered,” he said.