The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Nyesom Wike has declared the Park ‘n’ Pay Scheme in the FCT as illegal and has called for it to end immediately.

The Minister made this known on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, during a live Media Parley which was held as part of his one-year in-office celebration.

Wike clarified that the government does not endorse schemes that divert the majority of their earnings away from the coffers of the Federal Government.

He pointed out that the Park and Pay Scheme, for instance, retained 80% of its revenue while only contributing 20% to the Federal Government.

“… I called the person in charge of it. I asked, ‘Who collects the money?’ Unknown to us, there are agreements between the Secretariat and some people who claim to be consultants. So, the consultant takes 80%, and the FCT Administration takes 20%.”

The Park and Pay Scheme allowed car owners a convenient way to pay for their parking in subscriptions whether monthly or yearly.

Wike noted that a call from an associate brought the scheme to his notice,

“A 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.”

“The incident unfolded when a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, reached out to me with a troubling report.

“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 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.”

Wike declared the scheme illegal and assured citizens that necessary actions would be taken to ensure the discontinuation of the scheme.