BREAKING: FCTA Seals Ministry of Works, Federal Character Commission, Others Over Debt
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed off the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing located at Mabushi in Abuja, Federal Character Commission, Merit house Maitama and Murg plaza located just opposite the UTC Market, at Area 10, Garki, over waste management debts owed to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).
The exercise, which is connected with its drive to recoup about N10 billion owed to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, was carried out early Tuesday morning by heavily armed security personnel drawn from the police, Civil Defense Corps, among others.
Addressing journalists during the exercise, the Director of the Abuja Environment Protection Board (AEPB), Engineer Osilama Braimah, who doubles as Chairman of the Special Debt Taskforce, in the company of the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring Inspection and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah, monitored the exercise.
Braimah said government Ministries, Departments and Agencies were owing to the tune of 10 billion Naira and this, he said, was not acceptable.
He, however, hinted that some ministries were making frantic efforts to pay, while others show signs of unwillingness to pay.
According to him, “The board got court orders to seal the premises.”
He said the exercise, which has just begun, will cover all public and private offices owing to the board.
A senior magistrate court sitting in Wuse II, Abuja, had served the defendants with a summons to appear before the court on March 30th, 2022, but they failed to honour the court.
“The debtors include: Federal Ministry of Works — N9,998,625.00; Federal Ministry of Defence –N17,220,775.00; Federal Character Commission—N10,128,906.25; Civil service Commission–2,451,649.50; and Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission—21,683,750.00.
“Others are Federal Ministry of Health —N14,204,843.75; Federal Ministry of Trade & Investment—N19,222,287.50; Federal Ministry of Education Hqtrs –N25,838,275; and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps Wuse–N16,583,031.25”, he stressed.
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.
