CALEB ONWE 
Like a human life, it’s conception stage had often been heralded by great expectations and hope of survival.
However, while it usually scaled through the hurdles of conception, incubation and delivery stages, it has not succeeded in becoming the promised child which the parents had always dreamt of.
The Park and Pay Scheme, said to have been conceived by the Transportation Secretariat of the FCTA was designed to discourage indiscriminate parking of vehicles as well as generate more revenue for the government.
However, the FCTA has suspended it a second time. Those who thought that the scheme was exactly what the nation’s capital needed to be at par with other emerging capital cities, have continually failed in their planning and development of the scheme.
This has largely been responsible for its failure. Under the policy, motorists who desire to park at designated locations are made to pay a certain amount of money, ranging from N50 to N500. But many residents of Abuja were not happy with the scheme as they saw it as an additional and unwarranted economic burden.
Then, it was a common sight seeing the enforcers of the scheme struggling with motorists over parking of vehicles at different times and places. When the scheme first birthed in 2012, the promoters were optimistic that their it had come to stay.
But alas, it was not so. The scheme survived for approximately two years. It was suspended in 2014 after stern resistance by some residents. Many residents who decried the high-handedness of the operators of the scheme, also queried the ownership of the ticketing and enforcement companies accredited for the programme.
Legal battle
Inside Abuja gathered that at some point, a private firm, Sun Trust Savings and Loans had sued the FCTA and the companies contracted to operate the scheme.
The legal battle was taken before an FCT High Court, where Justice Peter Affen of the High Court in Apo, declared the scheme an illegal one. The plaintiff, SunTrust Savings & Loans dragged the FCT Minister, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Integrated Parking Services limited, (IPS) and Najec Safe Service Limited to court challenging the validity of the FCT Minister’s “Park and Pay” policy.
The court ruled that the law the operators of the policy used was not enacted by any arm of government and therefore cannot be of any effect.
Inside Abuja also learnt that the court’s judgment was based on the fact that there was no legal framework that gave backing to the operation of the scheme. That court’s pronouncement was the cause of the first death of the scheme. Thereafter, the scheme remained in limbo for about eight years.
Second coming
In 2023, there was a miraculous reincarnation of the policy by the same promoters.
The last posted Permanent Secretary from the Head of Service of the Federation to FCTA, who is now retired, Olusade Adesola was said to have played some vital roles in the reincarnation of the scheme.
Inside Abuja’s investigation revealed that the man who was approaching retirement, was poised to mopping up every available resources within his reach, so he engaged in policy approval bazaar.
An insider source said the retired Permanent Secretary took advantage of the period when the former Minister had exited and a new one was being awaited, to approve anything that accommodated his interest.
Adesola, then told the world that the Federal Executive Council in May 2023, approved the Park-and-Pay policy in Zone A (Wuse II and Utako), with NAJEC Limited as its concessionaire. The scheme was projected to rake in an expected revenue of N11.875billion from the first lot alone.
In Zone B (Maitama and Garki 1), Messrs. Automaten Technik Bauman Nigeria Limited was the concessionaire and an expected revenue of N15.05 billion was the target. He noted that the lucky companies were given the concession at a combined N908.3 billion for a 10-year term each.
Adesola, who signed the agreement on behalf of the FCTA, said the move was to promote a culture of orderliness and organisation, adding that the initiative will decongest the city and make motoring a more pleasant experience.
He explained that under the scheme, parking lots will be provided for motorists, while those who indulge in wrong parking will be fined. Adesola said the reintroduction of the scheme was with the consent of the six Area Councils, noting however that implementation will not begin until residents had been fully sensitised and enlightened about the scheme.
“So, while the agreement is being signed today, the commencement of the park and pay is not starting today. “The communication that should precede the implementation of the project is that the citizens need to know that we are signing on-street parking.
A lot of activities will follow. There will be robust stakeholder engagement; the operators will visit key institutions and will engage residents through electronic and print media.
“This is to ensure that people are sensitised and above all, to be aware that there will be a period of free parking, just for people to know how to use the facility,” he said.
Second death
Unfortunately, this ‘ promise child’ after the reincarnation has died the second time. This time, the death sentence was not pronounced by the court, but by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Wike who was answering questions from journalists on a live media parley, disclosed that he canceled the Park and Pay policy contract, because it was illegal.
The Minister noted that the arrangement which allowed the consultants to get eighty per cent (80%) of the proceeds, while the FCT administration takes twenty per cent ( 20%) was not acceptable.
“The call from a senior advocate, brought to light a scheme that has been siphoning government funds under the guise of a legal operation.
“The scheme, which appears to have been operating under the radar, highlights a critical flaw in the system that allows private consultants to pocket the lion’s share of revenues meant for the government. “These are things we need to fight within the system.
Sometimes, if you don’t bring it to our attention, we may not know. We can’t be everywhere,” he said. Inside Abuja learnt that the said senior Advocate of Nigeria ( SAN) had lodged a troubling complain that some people came to his office and tried to seize his cars.
Those involved in the action claimed to be from the Transport Secretariat “I asked him to give the person the phone, and I asked the person, ‘Who are you?’ He said he is from ‘Park and Pay, from the Transport Secretariat”.
The Minister said that he had to cancel the scheme, because such activities were illegal, noting that immediate action would be taken to dismantle the operation. “I’m trying to say that it’s illegal, and nothing like that exists. And if my colleague hadn’t called me, I wouldn’t have known,” he concluded.
