The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) said on Monday that it had started disconnecting FCT hotels` sewer lines over non-payment of waste disposal bills. Mr Shehu Lawan, the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Special Taskforce on Recovering of Debts owed AEPB, disclosed this in Abuja in an interview.
Lawan said that the board had submitted a report to the FCT Minister, Malam Mohammad Bello, complaining that some FCT residents were refusing to pay their waste management bills. He added that the money owed by some residents had accumulated to about N9 billion.
He said the minister constituted the special task force on May 25 and saddled it with the responsibility of recovering the N9 billion from the board`s debtors in the territory. According to him, FCT residents are not paying their bills, especially hotels in the territory.
“All the hotels have not been paying their service bills since 2012 and we are already taking action.
“The board had an agreement with all hotels in the city in July 2015 on the issue.
“The hotels promised the board they will pay off the entire bills but till date, they have refused to fulfill the promise.
“We have disconnected four hotels` sewer lines and we are visiting all the FCT hotels, one after the other to recover the debt.
“We have disconnected Agura Hotel, in Central Area, Valencia Hotel in Wuse 2, Bolingo Hotel also in Central area and Ibeto hotel in Kudu area.
“Agura hotel was owing the board about N13 million, Bolingo hotel was owing N10 million, while Ibeto hotel was owing about N4 million. “ he said.
He noted that Valencia hotel which owed N3 million had paid half of the money after the disconnection, adding that the taskforce team had connected the sewer line.
“We will continue the disconnection; we will disconnect their liquid waste.
“We had also instructed AEPB cleaning contractors to discontinue carrying their waste.
“Our contractors pick their waste, their liquid waste is treated through our service line, they are making money and they are part of the stakeholders in the city.
“They must inculcate the habit of paying their utilities so that we can serve them better, or we will continue to embarrass them,’’ he said.
Lawan said that banks in the territory had been paying for services rendered to them by the board. He warned that the board would ensure that services to residents who refused to pay their bills would be disrupted.
“We have given them three dedicated revenue accounts, such as GT Bank, UBA and Diamond bank accounts.
“All the agencies generating revenue have been given the account numbers and once the money is paid in any of the accounts, it will get to us.
“So nobody should say there is contradiction or that a revenue account given to them is bouncing back on the bill of AEPB.
“I am calling on all the residents owing the board to inculcate the habit of paying their bills so that we can serve them better,’’ he said.
-PM
