Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has declared the On-street Parking scheme, commonly known as Park and Pay, illegal in Abuja.
Speaking during a live media chat in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike criticized the policy, which had been reintroduced in August last year, shortly before he took office.
The scheme, introduced a decade ago, was suspended after public backlash but was quietly reinstated.
Wike expressed concern over the revenue-sharing arrangement, where the consulting firm takes 80% of the proceeds, leaving the FCT Administration with just 20%.
Recalling a recent incident, Wike said, “I was away, a colleague of mine, a friend of mine called me, he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN. He said, ‘Sir, people came to our office now trying to hijack all our cars and that they said they were from the Transport Secretariat.’ I said, what is that? I said give the person the phone. I said who are you and he said from Park and Pay. I said what do you mean by Park and Pay? I park in my house and I pay?”
The former Rivers governor further explained how he questioned the Transport Secretariat about the policy, discovering the questionable agreement between the Secretariat and consultants.
“I called the Mandate Secretary of Transport Secretariat. I said, come, who introduced the Park and Pay? What does it mean? Who collects the money? Unknown to us, there was an agreement between the Secretariat and some people who say they are consultants. Consultants? I said okay, consultant takes 80 percent and the government takes 20 percent?”
He directed the immediate release of a public statement to alert residents about the illegality of the scheme, emphasizing the need for transparency.
“So, sometimes, these things are done in connivance with the various Secretariats. I was a governor. So, I know that these things happen and we won’t deny that fact,” Wike added.
The minister urged Abuja residents to keep the government informed of any irregularities in their communities, noting that without public awareness, such policies could go unnoticed.
