Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared the controversial ‘Park and Pay’ scheme operating in Abuja as illegal. Wike made the announcement during a live media parley on Wednesday, marking his first year in office. The Minister revealed that he was previously unaware of the scheme’s activities until a Senior Advocate of Nigeria alerted him to the issue.
Wike criticized the scheme, stating that it had been siphoning government funds under the pretense of a legal operation. According to him, the scheme involved private consultants who were taking a substantial portion of the revenues collected from parking fees, leaving only a small percentage for the FCT administration.
He recounted the incident that led to his awareness of the scheme: “A senior advocate reached out to me with a troubling report. He mentioned that individuals claiming to be from the Transport Secretariat were attempting to seize cars at their office. When I inquired further, I learned that these individuals were associated with the ‘Park and Pay’ scheme.”
The Minister explained that the scheme’s operational details, including agreements allowing consultants to take 80% of the revenue while the FCT administration received only 20%, were unknown to him until the senior advocate’s intervention. Wike emphasized that immediate steps would be taken to dismantle the illegal operation and ensure that such activities do not continue under his administration.
