Property Owners in FCT Rush to Settle Ground Rents

Thousands of property owners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are rushing to settle their outstanding ground rent debts following a two-week reprieve granted by President Bola Tinubu. The FCT Administration had earlier published a list of 9,000 defaulters, warning them to pay up or risk losing their properties.

According to Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, the administration had begun sealing off properties of defaulters, including the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the National Agency for Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

However, President Tinubu’s intervention has given defaulters a temporary lifeline. Chijioke Nwankwoeze, Director of Land Administration, explained that property owners in the central area would be required to pay a penalty fee of N5m, in addition to their outstanding ground rent.

Those in Maitama, Asokoro, Wuse II, and Guzape Districts would pay a N3m penalty, while defaulters in Wuse I, Garki I, and Garki II would pay N2m.

As a result, the Abuja Geographic Information Systems office has been inundated with defaulters seeking to settle their debts. Badaru Yakassai, Information Officer, confirmed that the office was crowded, but noted that payments could also be made online through the agency’s portal.

“We have increased the number of officers issuing tellers to speed up the process and decongest the office,” he said.

Meanwhile, the FCT administration has unsealed the properties of the PDP, NAPTIP, and FIRS, in line with President Tinubu’s directive. Vincent Adekoye, National Press Officer of NAPTIP, confirmed that the agency had taken steps to regularize its documentation, while Dare Adekambi, Special Adviser on Media to the FIRS Chairman, said the agency’s property was unsealed after it was established that they did not owe any money.

Debo Ologunagba, National Secretary of the PDP, could not be reached for comment, but security officials at the party’s secretariat confirmed that the property was unsealed on Thursday. Mukhtar Galadima, Director of the Department of Development Control, was also part of the team that announced the FCTA’s decision to take over properties of ground rent defaulters.