27th October, 2016
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has recovered about N1.1 billion out of N9 billion owed it by FCT residents and organisations as waste management bills.
Mr Dare Oguntunbo, Assistant Director of Finance and Accounts of the board, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Oguntunbo said that the board was making efforts to ensure that the debt was recovered.
He said that the board had taken to court, residents and organisations owing it and had refused to pay.
According to him, whenever the board takes them to court, they will promise to comply and plead with the court to allow them to settle out of court.
“But at the end of the day, nothing positive will come out.
“Since the residents and the organisations are not complying, the board decided to present a report on that to the Minister, Mallam Mohammad Bello,” he said.
Oguntunbo said that based on the board’s complaint, the minister formed a Special Task Force on Recovering of Debt, on May 25 and saddled it with the responsibility to recover the N9 billion from the board`s debtors.
He said that the taskforce decided to take action by disconnecting the residents and organisation`s sewer service lines.
The assistant director commended the task force for efforts already made.
He urged residents and organisations owing the board to pay their bill to avoid further embarrassment.