Scandal rocks FCTA Park & Pay investment project

*Original owners seek justice from Tinubu, Wike Trouble appears to be brewing in the Federal Capital Territory as an ongoing scandal involving the Park & Pay investment has sent shockwaves through Abuja, raising concerns about transparency and justice. Otumba Olusegun Olarewanju, CEO of Platinum Parking Management, and Iliyasu Abdu, MD/CEO of Integrated Parking Managers, who claim to be the pioneers behind the recently reintroduced Abuja Park and Pay project, are demanding fair treatment from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the newly appointed FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. To attract investments from Nigerians in the Diaspora, especially in the Capital Territory, Olarewanju and Abdu assert that President Tinubu and Minister Wike should investigate the activities of top officials within the Federal Capital Territory. The duo allege that they were unjustly sidelined by the Adesola Olusade-led leadership of the FCT, despite having initiated the Abuja Park and Pay project. It’s reported that the former Minister of the FCT, Bello Mohammed, had upon leaving office, advised the Permanent Secretary to prioritize the pioneer companies’ right of refusal to ensure fairness and prevent the perpetuation of impunity. However, the Permanent Secretary and his colleagues allegedly disregarded this advice, moving swiftly to bring in their proxies and seized the concept developed by the original initiators. The situation is complicated further by an existing court judgment requiring the FCTA to pay damages for the abrupt disengagement of the two companies, causing significant financial losses. Olarewanju and Abdu detailed their journey, explaining that they returned to Nigeria as a response to then-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s call for Diaspora investments. They designed an “On-Street Parking Management” solution for Abuja, aiming to generate revenue and provide employment opportunities. “At the onset of democracy in 1999, the then President Olusegun Obasanjo invited people in Diaspora when we tried to romance with his government. He said we should come back home, bring all our ideas, and come and invest in the country. “This gingered us to come back home, and looking at the esthetics, the design, and the road network of Abuja, we came on board that we could do ‘On street Parking management’ on the streets of Abuja in other to generate revenue for the FCT and also to create massive employment for the teaming youths of Nigeria. “And we also had it in mind that one day the influx of vehicular movement in Abuja city will be uncontrollable. So, in other to have a plan in place was what necessitated us coming up with ‘On street parking’ project in the street of Abuja. “And we came with everything, we came with all our technical partners, we set it up, we did everything, and we tendered for the project. The FCT Minister later set up a technical committee to look into the proposal and here we are, we signed an agreement with them in 2010. “When we started, we put the entire infrastructure in place, synergies or what have you. We did all the line markings in all the roads of Abuja. I and my PPMS went back abroad and brought technical partners to set up all the infrastructure. We engaged thousands of Nigerians. “My company engaged over four hundred and fifty direct and indirect labour to start the project, same with my friend. We brought the state-of-the-art applications to manage the projects and start setting everything up, until one day we saw two companies that took over the street of Abuja saying the Minister said they should drive us away from the streets. “And then these people took over the streets, and then mayhem started; chaos, and pandemonium on the streets of Abuja. This was what led to Justice Peter Afe to place a suspension on the project because people sued us, they sued one of the illegal operators in court.  And when they suspended us they told FCT to go and get a proper traffic law to support the project,” Otumba Olarewanju explained. However, their vision was derailed by the actions of FCT officials, who allegedly favored their own interests over the original initiators’ rights. The two entrepreneurs stressed their demands: a return of their original zones for operation, compensation for incurred losses due to disengagement, and adherence to the arbitration judiciary award. “This is because as pioneers, and in the agreement we had with FCDA we have the right of first refusal. It’s in the agreement, and that agreement has been certified by a court of competent jurisdiction, so our agreement is valid and subsisting and anything contrary to that is against the law. And number two, the arbitrary award is a legal thing that nobody can wish away except the court of competent jurisdiction. Since they have gone to the High Court, the high court could not set it aside; the Court of Appeal court did not set it aside, and even the Supreme Court will not set it aside because arbitration has a time limit. If you cannot do anything within those ninety days that means it’s only God that can intervene,” he stated. Their plea hinges on their agreement’s legal validity, their certified rights of first refusal, and the binding nature of the arbitration award.

Alleged Fraud: NUPRC staff demand sack of CEO

Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) employees on Wednesday called for the sack of their Chief Executive, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, over alleged fraud and abuse of office. The workers had on Tuesday besieged the offices of the commission in Jabi and Utako, Abuja, where they gave a 24-hour ultimatum for the grievances to be addressed. The workers identified some of the issues as non-remittance of pensions deducted from their salaries, poor working environment, insufficient working tools and unpaid staff claims. Others were staff medicals, seven months outstanding salary payments and the non-payment of the emoluments of outsourced personnel. At the expiration of the ultimatum on Wednesday, the workers stormed the main entrance to NUPRC complex in Jabi, Abuja, dressed in black and red attires. The workers, in their numbers, urged President Bola Tinubu to sack Komolafe or order him to resign. The workers also called for a forensic audit of all contract processes and payments by the commission under Komolafe’s watch. Mr Owan David, the National Treasurer, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), explained during the protest that Komolafe must go for paying deaf ears to employees plight. David warned that if nothing was done to address the situation, the workers would withdraw from their duty posts nationwide. He urged the relevant authorities to take necessary action to save the commission from total collapse. Earlier, Mr Okechukwu Anya, the Branch Chairman of the union, complained that instead of engaging the workers in resolving the lingering issues, the management had resorted to intimidating the union leaders. Anya said that the union leaders were being intimidated for asking for improved working conditions. He accused the embattled chief executive of neglecting staff welfare and gross mismanagement of the commission’s funds. Reacting to the allegations, Komolafe expressed shock over the protest, adding that the management has fulfilled almost all the claims and demands of the workers. He said in a statement that about N1.5 billion upfront deductions had been offset among other commitments. He added that efforts were already in place to address pending issues. On the non-remittance of pension deductions, Komolafe said that the commission has remitted all pension deductions to the various Pension Fund Administrators. He added that the management had also secured additional working space in Abuja, while relevant steps had been taken to fit the necessary facilities in the Port Harcourt and Lagos offices. On medicals, Komolafe explained that full and comprehensive medical care, inclusive of approved overseas treatment, where required, was being provided for all staff. “The commission has also paid all on-call allowances to deserving staff as of July 2023. “Regarding the issue of non-payment of outsourced personnel, all outsourced service providers invoices are currently being processed,” he said. The chief executive said that the commission would not succumb to threats and intimidation from any quarters.