AEPB clamps down on debtors

Abuja Environment Protection Board (AEPB) has commenced a debt recovery drive involving the sealing up of premises of its numerous debtors across the Federal Capital City.
The Director of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Baba Shehu Lawan said indebtedness to the Board runs into billions of naira for its essential services including sewer connections, liquid and solid waste collection and disposal.
He stated that the Board swung into action recently by sealing up some of the premises in its list of numerous debtors whose continuous reluctance to pay up their mounting annual debts was crippling the Board’s capacity to render efficient services to its numerous customers and portraying it in bad light before FCT residents who expect nothing but the best.
“The list of debtors includes private individuals, businesses and government Agencies some of which individually owe AEPB between two to thirty million naira in unpaid charges and adding that the situation had become so worrisome that the FCT Minister, at some point, had sent the entire management of AEPB off on a one and a half year special debt recovery assignment before being recalled back,” he stressed.
Lawan noted that every step would be taken to ensure that all debtors felt the heat of their actions because a situation where only twenty percent of AEPB’s charges are paid annually is unsustainable for efficiency and will no longer be condoned.
“Premises visited include Gateway Plaza with over N10 million debt; Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC); the National Women Development Centre whose bill topped N31 million; AFRI Hotels owing for the last 3 years; Maina Court, N11.8 million; Federal Ministry of Education Annex Office in Central Area.
The Chief Maintenance Officer, Patrick Enebule promised that its debt would be cleared in two weeks’ time.
“Jinifa Plaza, Bank of Agriculture Complex and Grand Square were among the last places visited on the first day of the debt recovery drive.
While the latter promptly off set its debt of about N2.4 million, Jinifa Plaza which owed over N13 million had its sewer channels sealed as its Estate Manager preferred throwing up issues of legalities or jurisdiction rather than accepting that his negligence in responding to earlier notices given to them
‘Why foreign investors shun Nigeria’s built environment’
Stories by Tope Sunday The Director, Symphony Garden City, Mr. Bola Adeboye, has said that foreign investors are not keen on investing in the Nigerian housing sector because of inconsistencies in government policies.
Adeboye, who stated this recently at a seminar on the proposed symphony Garden Estate at Ogudu, area of Lagos state, decried the rate at which both foreign and local investors in the housing industry are moving their investments from the country to other African countries.
He said: “Governments of some countries have less than 5 per cent interference in housing unlike Nigeria where government influence is over 80 per cent.
Governments should deregulate, they should give room for professionals on the field”.
Adeboye, therefore, appealed to the federal government to deregulate as well as avoid interference in the operation of the sector.
He also advised government to embark on various housing schemes in order to address the housing deficit in the country.
The real estate expert explained that the garden City would provide all social amenities, such as good road, recreation centre, club house, schools among others in the estate.

 

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