N29bn ground rent debt: No payment, no building plan approval, FCTA insists

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), after embarking on the prosecution of defaulting property owners in the capital of Abuja, as a result of property owners owing the Administration ground rent in the region of twenty-nine billion Naira, the Administration has come out to say that henceforth, all property developers in the FCT, must show evidence of ground rent payment before the Department of Development Control consider and approve any building plan application.

Recall that Tribune Online had reported how property owners in the FCT are indebted to the FCTA and are refusing to pay their ground rent and other land-related charges, forcing the FCT Administration to constitute a Coordinating Committee on the Recovery of the outstanding N29 billion Ground Rents, and also engage five laws firm owned by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to take legal action against the defaulters.

In a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja, on Sunday, by the FCTA’s Director, Information and Communication, Muhammad Hazat Sule, warned that: “Accordingly, the clearance of all outstanding ground rents is now a requirement for the processing and approval of building plan submitted by property owners in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

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“The Director of the Department Development Control, who is also a member of the Coordinating Committee has noted this resolution and affirmed that the Department will do everything to enforce this new requirement.

“The FCT Administration decided to set up this Coordinating Committee due to the failure of titleholders to pay the prescribed land charges, despite several appeals and notices served on the affected property owners.

“The Administration had earlier sent out letters serving as last warning to such defaulters, as the government is committed to recovering every dime owed it.

“The Coordinating Committee is poised to do everything within the ambit of the law to recover every dime owed government and will take advantage of this robust partnership with these highly professional legal firms to realise this.

“The Committee wishes to appeal to the defaulters to be honourable and responsible to pay their outstanding ground rents as it is a better option left to avoid punitive action,” the Administration stated.

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N29bn ground rent debt: No payment, no building plan approval, FCTA insists

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N29bn ground rent debt: No payment, no building plan approval, FCTA insists