Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has declared the Park and Pay scheme operating in Abuja illegal. Wike made this announcement during a live media session with select journalists on Wednesday, an event organized to commemorate his first year in office.
The minister revealed that the scheme, which had been functioning under the guise of legality, was siphoning government funds through questionable arrangements with private consultants. According to Wike, a senior legal practitioner alerted him to the situation after an encounter with individuals claiming to be from the Transport Secretariat, who attempted to seize vehicles under the Park and Pay scheme.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wike recounted the incident, stating, “A Senior Advocate of Nigeria informed me about people coming to their office, attempting to seize cars under the pretext of being from the Transport Secretariat’s Park and Pay. When I inquired further, I discovered an agreement existed where consultants were taking 80% of the revenue, leaving only 20% for the FCT administration.”
Expressing his surprise and dissatisfaction, Wike clarified that he was previously unaware of such an arrangement and immediately took steps to address the issue. He firmly declared the scheme illegal and assured that the operation would be dismantled promptly.
“This is a clear misuse of government resources, and it will not be tolerated. If it hadn’t been brought to my attention, this would have continued unchecked,” Wike concluded.
