Stop the Hate – Wike Fires Back at Senator Kingibe Over Ground Rent Criticism

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reacted to recent criticisms from the Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, over the enforcement of ground rent payments in the capital.

In a statement on Thursday by Lere Olayinka, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, the minister accused Senator Kingibe of harbouring deep-seated animosity and allowing personal bias to cloud her judgment on critical policy matters.

“She must stop seeing issues from the angle of ‘I hate Wike,'” Olayinka said, urging the senator to “purge herself of the hatred she is harbouring against the FCT Minister.”

Recall that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), acting under the directive of Minister Nyesom Wike, recently revoked the titles of more than 4,700 properties whose owners had allegedly defaulted on ground rent payments for several decades.

The enforcement exercise commenced on Monday with the sealing of several high-profile properties, including the headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat, Ibro Hotels, and others. However, the operation was temporarily halted following the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who granted a 14-day grace period for defaulters to settle their outstanding rents.

Reacting to the development, Senator Ireti Kingibe criticized the enforcement approach, arguing that the Land Use Act stipulates that the penalty for non-payment of ground rent should be limited to a fine or surcharge. She maintained that the compulsory sealing or takeover of properties without adherence to the due process outlined in Section 42 of the Land Use Act and other relevant legal provisions was unlawful.

“As the elected Senator of the Federal Capital Territory, I cannot, and will not, stand idly by while residents are subjected to enforcement practices that contravene established laws and compound their suffering. I am actively engaging with relevant authorities and exploring all legislative avenues to ensure that any enforcement actions taken are consistent with the rule of law, fairness, and compassion,’’ she said.

However, Olayinka described Kingibe’s stance on the enforcement of ground rent payments as “ridiculously illogical.” He emphasized that land allocation in the FCT comes with clear legal obligations, one of which is the annual payment of ground rent.

Olayinka further challenged Kingibe’s understanding of the Land Use Act, accusing her of ignorance regarding the legal basis for revoking land rights.

“It is ridiculously embarrassing that a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, whose duty is to make laws, is ignorant of the provisions of Section 28, Subsections (a) and (b) of the Land Use Act,” he stated.

“For the education of Senator Kingibe, Section 28, Subsections (a) and (b) of the Land Use Act provides that ‘The Government may revoke a Statutory Right of Occupancy on the ground of; (a) a breach of any of the provisions which a certificate of occupancy is by Section 10 deemed to contain; and (b) a breach of any term contained in the Certificate of Occupancy.’”

“Now, is annual payment of Ground Rent not part of the terms contained in the Certificate of Occupancy? Or Senator Kingibe just chose to advertise her myopic attitude to anything Wike?”

“She should rather have said that ‘land owners in the FCT have rights to refuse to pay necessary bills stated in the Certificate of Occupancy issued to them, and that when they so do, the government should simply pick samba and tambourine, and sing their praises,’” he added.

“Now, if land allottees refused to pay Ground Rent for 10 to 43 years, Senator Ireti Kingibe will just look away if she was the FCT Minister?”