The On-Street Parking plan, also referred to as the “Park-and-Pay” scheme, has been deemed illegal by Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike, who cited fraud in the contract agreement between the management contractors and the FCT.
During a media briefing on Wednesday to commemorate his first year as the FCT Minister, the Minister made this declaration.
The FCT administration inked a massive N908.3 billion deal with concessionaires NAJEC Limited and Messrs Automaten Technik Bauman Nigeria Limited, with an estimated N26.93 billion in revenue for a 10-year term each, according to The PUNCH. This resulted in the reintroduction of the 2014 program in 2023.
Wike, however, said he was not aware of the program’s reintroduction and mentioned that the contract called for an 80% payback to the contractors and just 20% to be given to the government.
He went on to say that he had subsequently ordered the production of a statement informing the public that the program was unlawful and that homeowners should not be forced to pay for parking in front of their homes or places of business.
A senior advocate colleague of mine contacted to report, ‘People arrived to the office presently, trying to kidnap all our cars,'” They were from the Transport Secretariat, he claimed. “Give the person the phone,” I commanded. And who are you, I asked? How are you spending your time? Park and pay, he said. “What do you mean by Park and Pay?” I asked in response. I pay to park my car at my residence.
“I made calls to the Mandate Secretary and the Transport Secretariat. I enquired as to who launched the Park and Pay program and its purpose. Who is in charge of money collection? As it turned out, the (Transport) Secretariat and a few people posing as consultants had arrangements.
Then I asked, ‘Consultants take 80 per cent, and the government takes 20 per cent?’
“Where is this 20 per cent being paid to the government? I instructed that a statement be drafted. I called the Director of Press and said, ‘Send out a statement informing the public that there is no such thing as Park and Pay. It is illegal. That’s what I’m trying to convey,’” he said.
The Minister disclosed that contracts such as the Park and Pay scheme were arranged in collusion with secretariats within the administration, stating that he was striving to reduce corruption in the system to the bare minimum.
“The point I’m making is that, no matter how you shuffle things, you still have civil servants working with you. It is not easy, but you try as much as possible to reduce it to the bare minimum. But we must continue to fight hard,” he added.