FCT residents who refuse to pay their waste bills will be served court summons, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, (AEPB), has warned 

Osi Braimah, the Board’s boss, urged FCT residents to pay their waste bills as and when due, to avoid prosecution.

On Tuesday, a mass trial of waste bill defaulters was conducted.

“People are aware that they should pay for their services, but deliberately refuse to do so.

“If you do not pay your bills, you will have court summons.

“Mass trials are essentially the last option because it is expensive for us,” Mr Braimah said.

Mr Braimah said that waste bins evacuation was not a free service, tax or levy, but “it is payment for services being rendered”.

He noted that residents had been sensitised many times on payment of waste management services, but they chose to ignore such.

According to the director, the mass trial of defaulters of waste bill payments is done quarterly to get back the money the board spends in rendering waste evacuation services.

Arome Tokula, a prosecutor with AEPB, said that more than 90 persons were prosecuted over accumulated waste disposal bills.

Mr Tokula said that nine defaulters appeared, while three persons paid immediately, and they were discharged.

The prosecutor said the premises of those who refused to pay their bills would be sealed up by the board until they were able to make payments. 

(NAN)