EXPOSED: Abuja Parking System Scam, The Sanusi Connection?

Automatech Technik Haumann Nigeria Limited, a firm partly owned by Central Bank Governor, Lamido Sanusi, is one of four companies being used by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to generate revenue through an illegal and dubious electronic parking system in Abuja.

Other directors of the company are Yazib Mohammed, Suleima Onuche Adejoh, Abubakar Nuhu, David Momoh, Amina Akpakuru and Ayuba Tadamari.

The administration registered four companies last year and authorized them to generate revenue through the enforcement of an electronic parking system which is not backed by any law.

The other companies include Safe Parking Limited and Integrated Parking Services limited. While Safe Parking is owned by Nebolisa Igboka and Igwe Isu, Integrated Parking’s directors are Iliyasu Abdu, Iliyasu Esther and Emmanuel Idoko.

These firms make between N750,000 and N1 million daily which is shared with the FCT administration.
None of the companies has any experience or track record in e ticketing or electronic parking. The registered nature of business for all are general merchants, trading or manufacturing.

The chairman of the Senate committee on the FCT, Smart Adeyemi, said he did not know of any law setting up the e parking system but he would not speak further on the matter.

However, it was gathered that the system came about after some private sector businessmen approached the FCTA with a proposal to help it increase its internally generated revenue, IGR.

The proposal was that by structuring the parking of cars in Abuja and issuing tickets to parked cars, a lot of money could be generated. The proposal also indicated that knowing how lawless Nigerians could be, a great deal of money would be generated by clamping the cars of offenders and fining them.

Without any legal backing, the FCTA approved the proposal and went ahead to register four companies to execute the parking policy. Findings show that huge sums were expended by the administration in demarcating parking areas and erecting toll information signs in several parts of the metropolis.

Investigations by icirnigeria.org revealed that each of the companies generates between N750, 000 and a million naira daily from issuing parking tickets to motorists in the metropolis.

However, the issue of revenue made from this parking scheme is shrouded in so much secrecy that not much is known about details of how much is really generated.

Neither the companies nor the FCT ministry was ready to provide detailed information on how much revenue the electronic parking policy generates and how much really goes into the coffers of the government.

The managing director of Safe Parking Limited, Nebolisa Igboka, only told icirnigeria.org that the company pays 40 per cent of the revenue it generates to the coffers of the FCTA. He declined giving any breakdown.

The other companies insisted that it is not in their place to tell the public how much they make or pay to government, while the FCT administration too is not willing to divulge any information on the matter.

What is certain, however, that no law has been passed by the National Assembly sanctioning the ticketing regime. When our reporter phoned the chairman of the Senate committee on the FCT, Smart Adeyemi, he said he did not know of any law setting up the e parking system but he would not speak further on the matter. He pleaded that he was busy with legislative assignments and asked to be called another time. But we were subsequently unable to reach him on by phone.

The companies have made virtually no investments but are taking 60 per cent of revenue generated. Investigations show that they are expected to have installed e -ticketing machines that would issue tickets as well as parking signs with instructions to motorists but none has so far done so.

The new parking policy has caused many a motorist anguish and heartache as operators of the scheme go about clamping people’s vehicles even without any enlightenment campaigns to educate the public.

The clamping of the tyres of residents who park their vehicles in the wrong place has generated squabbles and even physical fights between motorists who feel cheated and the electronic parking enforcement teams. There is more focus on clamping people’s vehicles and slamming them with N5,000 fine than issuing tickets to motorists for parking their cars for short periods of time.

Source: Pointblank News