About 90 Federal Capital City (FCC) residents who did not pay for cleaning and environmental services provided by the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) have avoided the mobile court sitting.
Yesterday, the AEPB held a mass trial for waste management fee/dustbin provision defaulters at both commercial and residential properties. Only nine of the 94 people summoned for the trial obeyed the court’s order and appeared.
However, after the trial, Arome Terkula, a prosecutor with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), stated that they had summoned approximately 94 people to appear before the mobile court on accumulated mobile waste disposal bills that had not been paid for years.
“Approximately nine people appeared in court out of the 94 people summoned by the court.” Some of these nine people paid in full and were discharged. Some paid parts, while others only reconciled to report to the court.
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“There are also people who were given time to pay. If they do not pay, their premises will be sealed until they do.”Three people paid in full and were discharged. “Once you pay, we won’t be able to continue with the case,” he explained.
In addition, the director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Engr Osilama Braimah, stated that they have been sensitising the public about the payment, adding that the bills are sent to property owners in duplicates of four copies.
“Even after the bills were sent to them, there were court summons, but many of them still refused to pay for the services rendered,” he added.
Betty Amarachi Umegbulem, the AEPB’s head of legal unit, also stated that they will not stop prosecuting those who refuse to appear in court.
