The Abuja Environmental Protection Board says it may lockdown government offices, hotels, plazas, and other businesses due to debts owed to the board.

The director of AEPB, Osilama Briamah, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“As workers prepare to resume work after the Easter holiday, some government offices, hotels, plazas and other business premises may be under lock and key due to debts owed to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB),” he said.

Mr Brianah explained that the measure was coming on the heels of the task team set up by the FCTA permanent secretary, Olusade Adesola, to recover over N10 billion owed the AEPB by several government agencies, and business premises and residential apartments.

He said that the task team had been mandated to apply all legal means to recover the enormous sums of money from the debtors.

The director explained that the debts accrued over time due to the failure of those concerned to pay for services rendered to them by the AEPB.

“All of us desire to live and work in a world-class city compared to other beautiful cities around the world.

“Unfortunately, many agencies, residential apartments, hotels, plazas and so on, are not paying their bills as expected.

“That makes it difficult to raise the money needed to manage a mega-city like Abuja”, he said.

He said beginning from 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 19, based on a court order already obtained by the AEPB, the task team would embark on a mass seal-up of the affected facilities to recover the huge money being owed.

Mr Briamah added that the only option left was to apply the legal means of enforcing the court order to seal up the affected premises.

(NAN)