Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has declared the Park and Pay scheme operating in the nation’s capital as illegal, revealing that the scheme has been siphoning government funds under the guise of a legitimate operation.

Wike made the declaration during a live media parley with select journalists in Abuja on Wednesday. The interactive session, organized to mark his one year in office, provided a platform for the minister to shed light on the scheme that has been draining public resources.

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“A call from a senior advocate brought to light a scheme that has been siphoning government funds under the guise of a legal operation,” Wike stated. He further explained that the scheme operated covertly, highlighting a significant flaw in the system that allowed private consultants to pocket 80% of the revenues, leaving the FCT administration with a mere 20%.

The minister recounted the incident, saying, “The situation was brought to my attention when a Senior Advocate of Nigeria contacted me with a troubling report. He said, ‘Sir, some people came to our office and they are trying to seize our cars. They claim to be from the Transport Secretariat.’ I asked him to hand the phone to one of the individuals, and when I inquired about their identity, they claimed to be from ‘Park and Pay from the Transport Secretariat.’”

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Unaware of such activities, Wike immediately sought clarification from the responsible authorities. “I wasn’t aware of this, so I called the person in charge. I asked, ‘Who collects the money?’ That’s when I discovered that there were agreements between the secretariat and certain individuals claiming to be consultants.”

Upon learning of the situation, Wike declared the scheme illegal and assured that immediate action would be taken to dismantle the operation.

“We can’t be everywhere, and sometimes these issues only come to light when someone brings them to our attention. These are things we need to fight within the system,” he emphasized.

The minister’s firm stance on the issue is expected to lead to swift changes in how such schemes are managed within the FCT, ensuring that government funds are properly allocated and utilized.