THE Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has reaffirmed his vow to seal properties of ground rent defaulters in the nation’s capital.
The ICIR reported in March that Wike approved the revocation of 4,794 land titles in Abuja due to alleged non-payment of ground rent for over 40 years.
On May 23, the FCT Administration announced plans to take over 4,794 properties with outstanding ground rents spanning between 10 and 43 years.
However, on May 26, President Bola Tinubu intervened, forcing the FCTA to issue a two-week ultimatum to ground rent defaulters to settle their debts, following the commencement of property sealing by the administration.
Speaking during his monthly media parley on Monday, August 4, Wike expressed disappointment over the continued failure of some defaulters to settle their debts, despite the grace period granted by the president.
He stressed that without recovering the debts, the administration would be unable to execute critical infrastructure projects.
“You should know what I’m going to do next. I thank God the president said two weeks; we are at more than three months.
“That is Nigeria for you. We have just finished a programme of commissioning projects. Very soon, we are going to seal up all those properties. I am going to seal it up.” Wike said.
He warned that once enforcement begins, he would not be swayed by political sentiments.
“You can’t deny us the taxes we will use for development. You’re talking about the health sector now; you’re talking about education. What have we done in other sectors? With what? You want this. Pay us the taxes that you should pay, but you said no.
“Bear it in mind, I won’t do it. If you have not complied, if you have not paid, we are going to seal it up,” he stated.
The ICIR reported that the FCT administration began sealing the properties of defaulters, including the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Wuse district of Abuja.
The list includes a number of high-profile institutions and organisations, namely the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Others sealed were the headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, the Nigerian Postal Service, and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN)
The Borno and Kaduna State Governments’ lodges, the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company, the Nigerian Postal Service, and the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) were also sealed.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.