The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared the controversial Park and Pay scheme in Abuja illegal. This announcement came during a live media interaction held in the nation’s capital on Wednesday, which marked Wike’s one-year anniversary in office.
Wike’s decision follows revelations made by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who alerted him to the scheme’s questionable legality. The Park and Pay scheme, which has been operating in Abuja, involves private consultants managing parking fees and allegedly diverting a substantial portion of the funds meant for government use.
During the live session, Wike expressed his lack of prior knowledge about the scheme, stating that it was brought to his attention only after a senior legal professional reached out with concerns. According to Wike, the scheme was operating under the guise of a legitimate program while engaging in activities that diverted public funds.
He said, “A call from a senior advocate, brought to light a scheme that has been siphoning government funds under the guise of a legal operation.
“The scheme, which appears to have been operating under the radar, highlights a critical flaw in the system that allows private consultants to pocket the lion’s share of revenues meant for the government.
“These are things we need to fight within the system. Sometimes, if you don’t bring it to our attention, we may not know. We can’t be everywhere.
“The incident unfolded when a Senior Advocate of Nigeria reached out to me with a troubling report. He said, ‘Sir, some people came to our office and they are trying to seize our cars. They claim to be from the Transport Secretariat. I asked him to give the person the phone, and I asked the person, ‘Who are you?’ He said, he is ffrom ‘Park and Pay from the Transport Secretariat.
“I wasn’t aware of this, so I called the person in charge of it. I asked, ‘Who collects the money?’ Unknown to us, there are agreements between the secretariat and some people who claim to be consultants. So, the consultant takes 80%, and the FCT administration takes 20%.
“I’m trying to say that it’s illegal, and nothing like that exists. And if my colleague hadn’t called me, I wouldn’t have known.”
