A Federal Ministry of Works and Housing located at Mabushi in Abuja has been sealed off by the Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
It was learnt thay the exercise is connected with the FCTA’s drive to recoup about N10billion owed the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).
The exercise was carried out early Tuesday morning by heavily armed security personnel drawn from the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, among others.
Açcording to reports, the exercise affected the popular Murg plaza located just opposite the UTC Market, at Area 10, Garki, Merit House, and the Federal Character Commission, 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, monitored the exercise.
According to Braimah, government ministries, departments and agencies were owing to the tune of N10billion and this, he said, was not acceptable. Noting that some ministries were making frantic efforts to pay, while others showed signs of unwillingness to pay.
“The board got 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 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.
“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 said.
