The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has warned ground rent defaulters in the territory that there will be no further extension on the payment deadline.
Mr Wike gave the warning in Abuja on Monday, while addressing journalists shortly after inspecting ongoing key infrastructure projects in the Wuse and Life Camp areas of the territory.
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PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) would commence fresh enforcement actions on Wednesday, 26 November, against defaulters of ground rent, land use change, and conversion fees, as well as right-of-occupancy and certificate-of-occupancy bills.
FCTA noted that the two-week and the presidential grace periods granted defaulters four months ago had long elapsed, stressing that it would be the last opportunity for defaulters to pay.
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In May, this newspaper also reported that the FCTA sealed some of the 4,792 institutions whose properties were affected by the non-payment of ground rent, including the PDP national secretariat in Zone 5, Wuse District.
Other organisations earlier on the list of defaulters included the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), CONOIL Plc, Borno State Government, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), National University Commission (NUC), M.R.S Investment Company Limited (owners of MRS Petrol Stations) and Kaduna State Government.
The Nigerian Port Authority (NPA), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, University of Calabar, Nigerian Postal Service and Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) were also among the defaulters.
It is unclear whether some of them have complied with the payment.
Why there’ll be no further extension
Speaking on Monday, Mr Wike said, “It’s unfortunate that most Nigerians who complain don’t want to abide by the rules. You realise that when we started this enforcement, we also had a presidential intervention to give them two, three weeks more. But it’s more than four months now, and we cannot carry out projects without people paying their taxes.
“We did also make publications of extending the deadline and of course, you know they like to rush. If you don’t go and enforce it, nobody will pay. So, we believe that this is the last time. We are not going to extend any further”, he said.
On the format the enforcement was going to take, Mr Wike said officials of the FCTA will seal up the premises of defaulters, while the properties will revert back to the FCT Administration.
“If you have not paid, we will seal up the premises and the property then becomes the property of the FCT Administration”, he said.
Providing updates on the infrastructure projects he inspected, including the Transit Way N2 connecting the Central Business District to Wuse District and the Arterial Road N5 (Obafemi Awolowo Way) from Life Camp Junction to Karmo, the minister expressed satisfaction with the progress and quality of work and noted the contractors’ assurances of timely completion.
“The first site we went to is the construction of road N2 that connects the Central Area to Wuse, which is being carried out by Levante Construction Ltd, and the work is ongoing. The contractor has assured us that by the end of May next year, which is the first week of June, 2026, they will have completed that very key road connecting the Central Area to Wuse.
“We also went to Arterial Road N5, which is being handled by Julius Berger. For those of you familiar with this project, we have been here severally times when the connecting bridge was ongoing. Today, we are on top of the bridge. The contractor, Julius Berger, has also said that by January next year, they will have also handed over this project. So, we are hopeful.
“We are very happy with the quality of the job done. In fact, where we are standing is amazing. So, we are happy that they’ve gone this far and we are very happy with what we have seen”, he added.
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Mr Wike, while noting that the Transit Way N2 was being executed through emergency funding, also assured adequate funding for the Arterial Road N5 in the FCT’s 2025 budget.
Responding to questions on when the commissioned bus terminals would become fully operational, the minister explained that the process of selecting the operators was ongoing.
“You know it’s a contract and so the procurement is ongoing and we also want to see the number of fleet that they have. We believe that by the grace of God, by the end of the year, that would have been rounded up. So, it’s a matter of getting things done very well, the way it’s supposed to be by following due process,” he stated.
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