Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory have sealed-off the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing located at Mabushi in Abuja.
The exercise, which is connected with its drive to recoup about N10billion owed the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, (AEPB), also affected the popular Murg plaza located just opposite the UTC Market, at Area 10, Garki, Merit House, and the Federal Character Commission, among others.
It was carried out early Tuesday morning by heavily armed security personnel drawn from the police, Civil Defense Corps, among others.
The Director of the Abuja Environment Protection Board (AEPB), Engineer Osilama Braimah, who doubles as Chairman of the Special Debt Taskforce, in 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 N10 billion 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 the board.
A senior magistrate court sitting in Wuse II, Abuja, had served the defendants with summons to appear before the court on March 30, 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.
