By Innocent Phinan The Chairman of the Ministerial Task Team on the recovery of the N9 billion owed the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Baba Shehu Lawan, has given reasons the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) earlier sealed the National Hospital Abuja.
A statement issued on Tuesday by the Deputy Director / Chief Press Secretary of the FCT Ministry, Muhammad Hazat Sule, noted that the Task Team boss had sealed the National Hospital following a court order, which the FCT Chief Magistrate slammed on the Hospital management over unpaid debts for services rendered to it by the AEPB.
Mr. Lawan made this disclosure after executing the court order on Tuesday adding that the court had earlier issued three different summons to the Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital to appear before it, which he failed to honour.
According to him, the Chief Magistrate Court II presided over by Mrs. Chinyere E. Nwecheonwu on the 22nd June, 2016, ordered the sealing of the National Hospital and subsequently, adjourned the case to 13th July, 2016 for hearing.
It may be recalled that the Head of Service of the Federation, Ms. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita had on the 30th June 2016, written to all government institutions indebted to the Abuja Environmental Protection
Board (AEPB) to pay their debts or risk having a chunk of their overhead expenditure deducted from the first line charge.
Meanwhile, the National Hospital has since been re-opened following prompt 100 percent payment of the debts owed AEPB, the statement added.
