FCTA Seals Federal Ministry of Works, FCC, Of Over Accumulated Debts
The Federal Capital Territory has, in the early hours of Tuesday, sealed the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Character Commission, Merit House Maitama, and Murg Plaza over accumulated debts owed to Abuja Environmental Protection Board running into N10bn.
Addressing reporters during the exercise, Director of the board, Engr Osilama Briamah said the board provided waste management and other environmental services for their providers who have refused to pay.
He explained that the board had huge amount laying without response from the defaulters.
“We tried 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 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 N 9,998,625.00, 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 is worried about the high amount being owed the administration.
“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.
