By HUDU YAKUBU, Abuja

A Director with the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has said that revenue consultants within the territory were frustrating the collection of Internally Generating Revenue (IGR) in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.

The Director Outdoors Advertisement and Signages (DOAS) with the FCT, Dr Babagana Adam said this in an interview with Journalists on Saturday.

Dr Gana also debunked reports from a section of the media that the administration was having a running battle with Area Councils in the FCT over revenue collection.

Gana, while explaining that the Department is the sole Agency charged with the responsibility of collecting revenue from Outdoor Advertisement and Signages in the FCT, noted that they had a sharing formula on how the generated revenue should be shared between the FCT, DOAS and the Area Councils.

He noted that, because of the understanding they had with Abuja Municipal Area Council, (AMAC) in revenue collection, DOAS had been given three offices in AMAC to operate with its staff under the supervision of the Director, DOAS and Chief Revenue officer in AMAC.

According to him, “DOAS is not having any misunderstanding with Area Councils Administration of the FCT, DOAS is only having conflicts, perceived conflicts generated by the sailor, the revenue consultants who are aggrieved. Some of them have been living fat on the problems they create between Area Council, DOAS and FCT administration. Let me prove to you as I’m speaking to you,” he said.

“Is just like you go to the market and you met pickpocket because I call those revenue consultants that are not legal as pickpocket, pickpocket distract your attention and as you’re doing something, they will put their hands in your pocket and take it, that’s how the revenue consultants have been short changing the FCT system. So for now we have this, let me further tell you we are also facing the illegal revenue consultant head on,” he added.

Dr Gana also said that henceforth, DOAS would be intimated by the revenue consultants to surrender Outdoors Advertisement and Signages revenue collection to them in FCT, assuring the Area Councils that the FCT Administration is working tirelessly with DOAS and the Councils towards ensuring that what belongs to them get to them. (VON)