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Abuja’s streets are getting a makeover, courtesy of Minister Nyesom Wike‘s latest decree: the “Park and Pay” scheme, a longtime fixture in the capital, has been outlawed.
This surprise announcement promises to reshape the city’s parking dynamics.
During a televised media chat on Wednesday, celebrating his first anniversary in office, Minister Wike dropped the major policy changes: the “Park and Pay” scheme is now defunct.
Originally introduced around a decade ago, the “Park and Pay” scheme faced intense public opposition, leading to its suspension.
But in a puzzling turn of events, it was revived in August last year, mere days before Wike’s ministerial appointment, only to be outlawed by him now.
Minister Wike also expressed dismay at the lopsided revenue-sharing formula, which grossly favors the consultant.
He revealed that the consultant pockets a whopping 80% of the proceeds, leaving the FCT Administration with a meager 20%, a disparity he deemed unacceptable.
Read also: How Wike Frustrated Obi Out Of PDP – Atiku’s Spokesperson
He said; “I was away, a colleague of mine, a friend of mine called me, he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN. He said ‘sir, people came to our office now trying to hijack all our cars and that they said they were from the Transport Secretariat’. I said, what is that? I said give the person the phone. I said who are you and he said from Park and Pay. I said what do you mean by Park and Pay? I park in my house and I pay?
“I called the Mandate Secretary of Transport Secretariat. I said, come, who introduced the Park and Pay? What does it mean? Who collects the money?
“Unknown to us, there was an agreement between the Secretariat and some people who say they are consultants. Consultants? I said okay, consultant takes 80 percent and the government takes 20 percent? I said okay, where is this money paid into? I said, draft a statement and call the Director, Press, send out the statement that the public should be aware that there is nothing called Park and Pay. So, sometimes, these things are done in convince with the various Secretariats. I was a governor. So, I know that these things happen and we won’t deny that fact”, he stated.
Wike encouraged residents to remain vigilant and inform the government about issues in their communities, citing the “Park and Pay” scheme as a prime example. He noted that if citizens hadn’t brought it to his attention, he might still be unaware of its existence, highlighting the importance of community feedback.
