Business owners in Abuja’s Federal Capital Territory have slammed the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) decision to charge enterprises that use generators to power their operations.
The Management of Abuja Municipal Area Council Environmental Services (ESD) Bodies, according to a notice signed by the Director Public Health, HoD Environment of AMAC, Ahmed Haruna, said industries, warehouses, and banks are to pay an annual fee for using generators due to the discharge of harmful and hazardous substances into the air.
Part of the notice reads;
Management of Abuja Municipal Area Council Environmental Services (ESD) Bodies, wishes to notify you of levy/fees due to Abuja Municipal Area Council for Gaseous Emission Permit Limit. This includes discharge of harmful hazardous substance into the air or the land and the water in Nigeria by the activities of industries, warehouse, Bank, either from generator or heavy duty, drilling, production, construction and manufacturing equipments, filling station, ETC.
“This is in line with the provision of section (2C) of the forth schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended under the function of the Local Government Authority and Federal Environmental Protection Agency Act (FEPA) Section 25 which established the Local Council Authority to, regulate, enforce and collection of levies for the interest of public health importance (welfare) section 18, 20, 21, 26and 27 and other relevant laws National Environmental Health Practice Regulation 2016 which confers on the council the power to regulate, inspect, control and collection of levies.
Violations of the directive would be punished and crippled, according to the warning.
Also note that failure to comply with this forgoing regulation is punishable offence and we will seize the activities of the organization and arrest as prescribe in part iV Section 27 Subsection 1 abcd and (2) of FEPA ACT 1992
Source: Gossips24.com
