The Federal Government recently issued a strict notice to high-ranking officials, government agencies, and commercial banks to clear their outstanding ground rent payments or risk losing their land titles. This directive, announced by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), targets prominent figures, including President Bola Tinubu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, various Ministries, Departments, Agencies (MDAs), and several state governments.
On Monday, the FCTA published a list naming over 9,000 ground rent defaulters, urging them to settle their dues for 2023 within two weeks. The administration warned that any delay beyond this period could result in land title revocation.
The notice from the FCTA reminded all land allottees and property owners in the Federal Capital Territory to fulfill their responsibilities as per their Statutory Rights of Occupancy, which require payment of ground rent annually from January 1.
The publication listed several notable individuals, such as former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, ex-Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun, and past Central Bank Governor Godwin Emefiele, as among those with outstanding payments. Also included were former state governors, including Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, and Donald Duke of Cross River.
Several Ministries and Agencies, like the Federal Housing Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Commerce, and Federal High Court, Abuja, were also flagged as owing ground rents, along with state government lodges from states including Imo, Lagos, and Kaduna.
In response to a high number of unpaid rents, the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike extended the payment deadline to December 2023, following an initial deadline that expired in September. Wike emphasized that failure to comply would have consequences, refuting assumptions that the directive lacked enforcement power.
The FCT’s Director of Information, Muhammad Sule, noted the administration aims to collect about N30 billion from these overdue payments, adding that the extension aims to accommodate individuals eager to settle their bills. This collection is anticipated to strengthen the financial foundation of the FCT, with payments expected by December 14, 2023.
