The FCT Administration has sealed the Federal Ministry of Works, Federal Character Commission and Merit House, Maitama, alongside others over N10 billion waste collection debt.
The Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Osilama Briamah, said that the ministries and commission failed to pay for the environmental services provided to them.
Briamah said, “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 resulted to legal means to recover the debts. The board obtained court orders to seal the premises.
“The exercise, which has just begun, will cover all public and private offices owing the board.’’
A Senior Magistrate’s Court sitting in Wuse II, Abuja served the defendants with summons to appear before the court on March 30 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 Defense –N17,220,775; and Federal Character Commission, N10,128,906.25.
Others are Civil Service Commission -N2,451,649.50; Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, N21,683,750; Federal Ministry of Health N14,204,843.75.
Also included are Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, N19,222,287.50; Federal Ministry of Works, N9,998,625; and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Wuse, N16,583,031.25.
Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, said that the operation followed the initiative put together by the FCT Minister and the FCTA Permanent Secretary to recover debts.
Attah stated that the FCT administration was worried about the huge amount being owed, noting, “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; it is wrong for people not to pay for services rendered.”
