12 persons to be arrested for not painting their houses

The principal State Counsel, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Bar. Arome Tokula who appeared as prosecutor told the court that these people failed to appear before the court after they had failed to heed to warning to paint or renovate their houses and warning letters had been served them since February this year. They will […]

The principal State Counsel, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Bar. Arome Tokula who appeared as prosecutor told the court that these people failed to appear before the court after they had failed to heed to warning to paint or renovate their houses and warning letters had been served them since February this year. They will be arrested and produced in the court’s next sitting in a fortnight.
In the same court, another 32 persons residing on Dankama Close, Area 2 narrowly escaped conviction for failure to paint/renovate their houses. They argued in court that they were not served notices.
 After hearing them, the magistrate, Mohammed Jibril Kutigi said, “There’s no proof of service”. He however gave them two weeks to go paint/renovate their houses as stipulated by law.
Reacting to the court verdict, the chairman of Dankama Close Residents Association, Mr Ibikunle Ladejobi said the two weeks given by the court is short. Apart from that, he said the rains still fall and it may be difficult to paint when it rains.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Development Control, Mr Emetu Kalu said the residents were served through people in their neighbourhood because during week days, most of them are not at home when AEPB officials visit. He said for two years government has been urging Abuja residents to paint their houses. Now government is poised to prosecute those to fail to comply.
Section 35 subsection 1(e) of the AEPB Act says it is an offence not to paint or renovate residences. Section 2(b) of the same section 35 prescribes punishment-payment of not less than N5,000 or imprisonment of six months or both depending on the gravity of the offence/discretion of the judge.
The court sits within the precincts of those involved. Where the persons concerned fail to appear, a bench warrant for their arrest and production before the court is issued. Their premises can also be sealed off.
Most of the houses involved here were government houses bought by private persons. Commercial buildings are also involved.
If you are a resident in FCT and you have the papers enabling you to reside, rules and regulations must be complied with, so says AEPB. This is to ensure that the city is kept clean and reflects the true identity of the Federal Capital City. Regulations are periodically enforced by both the AEPB and the Development Control.