Fed. Character Commission, Merit House, others shutdown over N10B debt

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Federal Character Commission, Merit House, Federal Ministry of Works, Murg plaza were yesterday sealed over ten billion naira debt waste management due to Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).

Our correspondent reports that officials of AEPB and other relevant FCTA  Agencies in the wee hours of Tuesday executed the seal off order against the said public and private office buildings,  all located within the nation’s capital centre.

Also, it was gathered 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.

Speaking during the exercise,  Director of the board, Engr. Osilama Briamah said the board provided waste management and other environmental services for the affected organisations, and they refused to pay.

He 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.

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.

“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.

A break down of the debt 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.