FCT Minister sacks all Environmental Board management staff

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Muhammad Bello, has sacked the director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, Baba Lawan.

The minister appointed Oluwatoyin Olanipekun as replacement.

The minister also removed all heads of department as well as Heads of Unit under the board and directed their deputies to immediately take charge.

The Minister made these changes on Wednesday after he and the FCT Permanent Secretary, Babatope Ajakaiye, met with the former management team of the AEPB.

Mr. Bello directed the Director of the FCT Establishment and Training who was also part of the meeting to issue the new appointees with their appointment letters.

He warned that lackadaisical attitude to work must be stopped forthwith as Abuja must be rid of filth, street beggars, street hawkers and all other environmental nuisances immediately.

The Minister said a lot of things were not going on well at the Board and further warned the new team to work to change the tide immediately.

He said that the former Director and his management team should ensure all handing over processes are completed by Friday.

Meanwhile, the Minister has also directed that the former management team of the Board to be constituted into a Special Task Force on the Recovery of N9.8 billion Debt owed AEPB.

Mr. Bello instructed that the new Task Force be headed by the former Director of the Board and was given eight weeks to do the recovery into FCT administration’s coffers.

At the meeting, the Minister also approved the appointment of Abdullahi Adamu Monjel, a retired Air Force Squadron Leader, to head a special team of 200 security personnel drawn from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to assist in the enforcement of environmental laws in Abuja.

The Minister was however quick to warn the new management and special team to conduct their duties within the ambit of the law.

Mr. Bello further warned that the FCT Administration would not tolerate any act of abuse of fundamental human rights of the residents in the discharge of their duties.

He urged them to diligently do their job by following and applying the law and due process.

The new Acting Director, Oluwatoyin Omolola Olanipekun, was formerly the Deputy Director, Environmental Degradation & Development Monitoring in the Abuja Environmental Protection Board.