Officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) yesterday sealed the premises of Nigeria Union of the Journalist (NUJ) owned International Institute of Journalism (IIJ), citing non-payment of waste service bills.
Students of the institution were receiving lectures in their classrooms when the AEPB officials stormed the Hamdala Plaza premises of the school, located on Jimmy Carter Street, Asokoro and locked the second floor entrance of the plaza, locking the students in and also shutting out some lecturers who were resuming for duty.
Head of media and outreach, AEPB, Joe Ukairo, said it became necessary to seal the premises after the school’s management failed to pay waste service bills as required by the law.
According to him, the school had ignored several notices served it to pay the bill and also failed to respond to a summons by the FCT magistrate court, Wuse Zone 2.
But IIJ administrative officer, Mrs.Phina Mefor said while the school had received waste service bills of over N400,000 from the board, it had not received a court summons.
“They brought a bill of over N400,000 to us but we told them that we have somebody managing this place, Jide Taiwo and Co and we pay facility management fees to the company,” she added.
AEPB also sealed the office of Health Systems Development Project also in the plaza.