FCTA To Seal Up Premises Of Waste Disposal Debtors

By: Janet Peni, Oji Moses & Precious Demide

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to prosecute and seal up all individuals and Corporate organizations owing sewer and solid waste charges.

This is aimed at recovering all outstanding bills owed the government over services provided for wastes disposal.

The Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Engr. Osi Braimah, who gave this threat Thursday, said that some of the defaulting residents, hotels, banks, offices and other big time business premises have already been taken to court by the Board.

His words:”The Abuja Environmental Protection Board has taken a decisive turn as many of the defaulting institutions have been taken to court by the Board.
This development, is as a result of the recalcitrant attitude of residents and mostly, corporate offices and business institutions not wanting to pay their bills for the services graciously rendered to them.”

Braimah said, “The city is clean as we are doing our jobs of ensuring that everywhere is clean and void of pollution and epidemics; but residents are not paying their bills. Many of them default deliberately even after these services have been rendered. That is not a civil attitude or good way to respond towards these quality services rendered.”

“What we are asking them to pay are not levies but payments for services already rendered by the AEPB to them. The Board do provide liquid and solid wastes management services, which is our responsibility. The FCT Administration maintains, and service all treatment plants that serve the entire city at a very high cost; so those who enjoy these services must fulfill their part by paying their bills fully and promptly too,” Braimah emphasized.

Answering question on the modalities of serving the bills to premises, the Director said each prepared bill covers a period of one year and are served at the premises of clients by our staff; however, the residents can decide to pay at a pace most convenient for them but should ensure they pay up by the fourth quarter of the year in question.

Speaking further, the Director said, ‘Many residents and institutions deliberately refuse to pay, thereby, making the bills to accumulate to an amount they consider too heavy for them.

“Some of these heavy defaulters we took to court today have left their bills piling up for three to four years and this is the fourth quarter of the year. We therefore expect them to pay before the close of the year,” he restated.

“We will begin to shut down our services for those defaulters, who refused to pay; seal up their premises and in some cases, disconnect them from our sewage services because these services cost a lot of money to maintain,” he said.