FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has sent another warning to Abuja landlords defaulting in the payment of ground rent.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike hinted that the Rights of Occupancy of the houses may be revoked if they fail to meet up with payments.
Wike, said contrary to insinuations in some quarters, “something will surely happen” at the expiration of the deadline issued by the FCT Administration in September for individuals, organisations, and agencies owing ground rent who refused to pay up.
The minister stated this when he received the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by its President, Dr Chris Isiguzo who visited him in Abuja.
The FCTA had in a recent publication asked allottees of lands within Abuja to fulfill their obligations as stipulated in the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) by paying their ground rents in advance without demand from January 1 of each year.
The FCTA had warned that a breach or failure to comply with any or all of the terms stated in the Rights of Occupancy shall be liable to the revocation of the title.
The administration, therefore, advised all allottees, property owners, and beneficiaries of the sale of Federal Government Houses in the FCT to settle their outstanding ground rents or lose their titles.
The minister told the NUJ leadership that he is determined to match his words with action by revoking plots of defaulters at the end of the deadline given by the FCTA.
“The law has been there before I came. The only problem is applying the law. The Minister of State and I have the capacity and political will to do what is right.
“You know Nigerians are funny, believing that nothing will happen. Something will happen. We can’t continue that way; we can’t.
“We have given defaulters a final notice to go and pay and they said it is initial “garagara” (false bravery). Something will happen.
“By the time we give the final notice, and you don’t pay, the law will be applied,” he said.
He added that the FCTA was able to save significant Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) since the removal of the Administration from the Treasury Single Account, adding that the era of abandoned projects in the FCT was over.
Wike explained that some of the hash decisions being taken by the FCTA were for the good of all in the long run, adding that the government would step on toes in the efforts to right the wrongs in the FCT.
The minister pledged continued support to the media as critical partners in the development space.
