The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has vowed to end complaints of harassment, double taxation and alleged illegal levies imposed on businesses by the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
The commitment was made during a stakeholders’ meeting with hotel operators, food vendors and service providers at the Area Council Service Commission Hall in Abuja.
Business owners accused AMAC officials of issuing demand notices, threatening to seal premises and initiating court actions over fees already paid to the FCTA, despite existing court judgments barring the council from enforcing public health and environmental regulations in the capital.
The dispute centres on two key judgments of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, which ruled that AMAC lacks the legal authority to regulate public health and environmental services in Abuja.
In Bureau of Public Enterprises v. Abuja Municipal Area Council (Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/546/2022), delivered on March 13, 2023, Justice Muawiyah Baba Idris declared AMAC’s 2020 Environmental Sanitation and Premises Inspection Bye-Law invalid, citing the absence of mandatory ministerial approval under the Public Health Act.
The court ruled that AMAC had no power to legislate or enforce public health regulations, stating that such responsibilities rest with the Federal Ministers of Health and Environment.
This position was reaffirmed on February 14, 2025, in Devyani International Nigeria Ltd. (KFC) v. AMAC (Suit No. CV/1642/2024), where Justice Y. Halilu held that food safety regulation, environmental health services and medical fitness certification fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of the FCTA.
Despite the judgments, business operators alleged that AMAC officials resumed enforcement actions shortly after payments were made to the FCTA.
One operator, Rebecca Aminu, said the continued demands were crippling small businesses.
“We’ve complied fully with FCTA requirements, yet AMAC keeps issuing notices for the same services and threatening to seal our premises,” she said.
Another operator, Folorunsho Emmanuel, described the situation as unsustainable, noting that businesses are often forced to pay twice for the same services or face legal action.
Responding to the complaints, the Director of Public Health at the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Dan Gadzama, warned business owners against making payments to AMAC on matters already resolved by the courts, stressing that such payments would not be recognised by the FCTA.
Similarly, the Head of Tax and Revenue at the FCTA, Alhaji Musa Isah, said steps were being taken to eliminate overlaps through legal and administrative measures to protect businesses operating within the territory.
The FCTA’s legal representative, Alex Ibe, warned that continued disregard for court judgments could amount to contempt of court, adding that the administration was considering further legal action to enforce compliance and safeguard lawful business operations.
