.British, Russian embassies, 41 others risk losing land titles
Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has given a final 14-day deadline to ground rent defaulters.
Top on the list are foreign embassies that allegedly owe over $5.3 million for last year.
Others, according to a publication, signed by Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) Director of Information and Communication, Muhammad Hazat Sule, include companies and individuals, who are collectively owing N2,205, 079,937.
The publication reads in part: “The FCT Administration hereby reminds the general public, particularly allotees of land(s) within the FCT of their obligation to the FCTA as stipulated in the covenanted terms of the Certificate of Occupancy to wit ‘to pay in advance, without demand to the Honorable Minister, FCT, the annual ground rent from the first day of January of each year.’
“All allotees, property owners as well as beneficiaries of the sale of Federal Government houses in the FCT who could not pay or settle their outstanding ground rents for the year 2023, are hereby advised in their interest to ensure payment within two (2) weeks from the date of this publication, failure of which such titles shall be revoked.”
The minister also urged elites and residents to pay their taxes and ground rents to allow for adequate funding of projects and infrastructure in the territory.
He spoke during an inspection of ongoing projects in the federal capital city, exuding confidence that the various projects would be completed by the end of May to mark the first year of President Bola Tinubu in office.
Wike also sought support of residents, assuring that taxes and ground rents were being “managed judiciously” to ensure service delivery.
He noted that despite the economic situation in the country, FCTA avoided project variation, by ensuring prompt payment to contractors.
