The Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr Christopher Maikalangu, has warned that no technical partners is permitted to lock up business premises without informing the Council.

Maikalangu said this in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Kingsley Madaki, in Abuja.

He said that the Council reserved the right to revoke and terminate the contract of any technical partner that refused to train its field workers.

He charged some technical partners who were overstepping their boundaries by collecting certain frivolous revenues from residents living in the City Center to desist from it or face legal action.

The AMAC chairman said that any field worker seen defrauding unsuspecting citizens or organisations, either by giving them fake account details or using agents to collect cash from them must be dealt with.

“Any fake revenue collector apprehended should be arraigned and prosecuted at the nearest mobile court.

“The council did not empower any technical partner to generate any revenue on Community Development Levy. So, anyone that comes to ask for such is an impostor and should be treated as criminal.

“Meanwhile, the council has taken steps to investigate and apprehend all the perpetrators of this dastard act.

“Incessant harassment of business owners with touts and security agents, and undue extortion from unsuspecting residents by some technical partners led to negative news on some social media platforms and other conventional media,” he said.

According to the Chairman, it is also observed that some of technical partners established their own mobile courts without the consent of the council.

“They do that and obtain court orders to garnish account of tax payers, using force to lock-up their shops and business premises to harass innocent citizens in the name of revenue generation,” he said.

Maikalangu further directed that all technical partners should organise trainings and workshops for all their field worker on civility, effective communication and work ethics.

“Considering that fake revenue collectors can infiltrate the field workers, the technical partners are also advised to provide uniforms and means of identification for their field workers to avoid diverting the Council’s IGR into private bank accounts.

“All technical partners must inform and involve the AMAC Legal Division before taking any legal action against any business owner or organisation,” he directed. (NAN)

Update news