Wike sends fresh warning to Abuja landlords

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday, gave a final warning to defaulters of ground rent payment in the nation’s capital, insisting that something would happen.

Wike gave the warning when the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, led by its President, Comrade Chris Isiguzo visited him in Abuja.

The minister said that “something will surely happen” contrary to the erroneous assumption that the ground rent directive was an empty threat.

NAN recalls that the FCT Administration in September published land titles of individuals, organisations, and agencies owing ground rent.

In the publication, the FCTA reminded allottees of lands within FCT of their obligations as stipulated in the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to pay in advance without demand from Jan. 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.

Wike assured the defaulters that he would match his words with action at the end of the grace period by revoking such plots.

“We have given defaulters a final notice to go and pay, and they said it is initial “garagara” (false bravery). Something will happen.

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“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 since the removal of the Administration from the Treasury Single Account, adding that the era of abandoned projects in the FCT was over.