By ERICJAMES OCHIGBO

The Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN) has urged the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene in the ongoing dispute between the FCT Administration (FCTA) and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) over environmental health enforcement in Abuja.

The President of GICN, Mr Edward Omaga, made the call at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.

Omaga said the overlapping roles of the FCTA and AMAC had resulted in confusion, multiple taxation and alleged harassment of residents and businesses.

According to him, the dispute affects environmental services such as fumigation, pest control, habitation approvals, continued use of properties, food and water safety, among other regulated activities within AMAC.

He explained that while the FCTA relied on court pronouncements to justify its actions, AMAC based its authority on Section 7(1) of the Constitution, which vests local governments with certain responsibilities within their jurisdictions.

Omaga said the Constitution provides for the collection of rates, regulation of environmental sanitation and participation in public health services as functions of local governments.

He, however, alleged that in spite of this framework, the FCTA, through its Public Health Department, continued to impose and enforce environmental compliance obligations on residents and businesses.

“It is no longer news that what began as an administrative overlap has now degenerated into a full-blown legal issue with far-reaching implications for citizens, businesses and institutions within the FCT,” he said.

Omaga called on the FCT Minister to urgently convene relevant stakeholders to resolve the crisis.

He also urged the Registrar of the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Dr Baba Yakubu, to work with the Minister of Environment to issue a clear directive defining the agency responsible for environmental regulation and collection of levies within AMAC.

The GICN president further appealed to the Director of Magistrates in the FCT, Magistrate Idayat Akanni, to suspend overlapping enforcement actions and ongoing prosecutions in magistrates’ courts under her supervision to prevent further injustice.

“This will allow room for a proper harmonisation framework between the FCTA and AMAC on the agency responsible for environmental regulation and levy collection, in line with the Constitution and the National Environmental Health Practice Regulation 2024,” he said.

Omaga warned that failure to resolve the dispute could lead to peaceful protests at key institutions, including the National Assembly, Federal Ministry of Environment and the Office of the FCT Chief Judge.

He called on civil rights advocates and stakeholders to support efforts aimed at resolving the crisis in the interest of residents.

According to him, Nigeria remains the only country for its citizens, and all efforts must be geared towards strengthening its institutions. (NAN)