By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun moves to recover ten billion naira debt owed to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), by Federal Ministries, parastatals, agencies and private establishments.
Director of the board, Engr Osilama Briamah on Tuesday led the officials to commence sealing of some affacted offices.
He said the board provided waste management and other environmental services for their service providers and they refused to pay.
The offices sealed on day one were the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Character Commission, Merit House Maitama and Murg plaza in Area 10.
Briamah 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 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—21,683,750.00Federal 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.
