FCT administration laments non-payment of utility bills

Worried by the failure of residents of the Federal Capital Territory to pay their utility bills, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has begun a sensitization exercise to remind people to pay up
their rates at when due, just as offenders of such laws are liable to face sanctions as obtained in the extant law of the FCT environment.

Recall that senior directors of the AEPB lost their jobs owing to non-implementation of the environmental laws of the FCT.

First leg of the enlightenment tour took place at Gwarimpa district in life camp where officials of AEPB held a meeting with the people in the area at the weekend.

Speaking during the occasion, the director of the AEPB, Mrs. Omolola, Onanipekun, said the agency had decided to adopt the monthly payment of bills as a result of a popular demand by the people.

She however said that this method is subject to a review when the need arises. According to her, contractors in charge of waste evacuation have been urged to redouble their efforts in visiting residential premises to empty their waste bins in time.

She said that the approved date for the contractor in charge of life camp for evacuating wastes are Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays.

Mrs. Olanipekun, appealed to the FCT residents to cooperate with the cleaners by placing their waste bins at places where they can easily be picked up.

Responding to questions by stakeholders, the director said that it is an offense for one to rear birds or maintain a fish pond in a residential places, the offensive odour from a fish pond or poultry farms she said is hazardous to human health.

In his remark, an expert in charge of Japan/Nigeria International Corporation Agency (JIGA), Mr. Hisashi Yamguchi, said that plans has reached advanced stage to recycle wastes generated by residents of the
FCT.