By Akinola Ajibade
The Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Character Commission ( FCC), Merit House Maitama and Murg Plaza are under lock and keys, following their inability to pay N10billion waste debts owed the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AFPB). The Institutions were shut down by the Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA), which has overall control over the Board.
The Managing Director of the Board, Engineer Odilams Briamah revealed this to journalists recently after the exercise.
He sexplained that the Board rendered waste management services to the Ministry of Power and others, adding that they refused to pay for the services given to them.
He said that the board had huge amount laying without response from the defaulters.
He added:“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 break down 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.
He stated that the FCT Administration is worried about the high amount owed it. In a
He added:“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” .
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