N29bn Ground Rent Debt: FCTA prosecutes defaulters

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has commenced prosecution of defaulting property owners and titleholders in Abuja, who owe the administration Ground Rent debts.

In a statement, signed by the Director of Information and Communication Department of the FCT, Muhammad Hazat Sule, the FCTA said already, that the government has filed court cases against some of the property owners over their failure to pay the prescribed land charges.

The government is seeking an order to force debtors to clear their debts or forfeit the affected property, since they are recalcitrant in paying the debt, despite several appeals.

“The FCT Administration has taken this step to drive home the point that it is desirous of recovering the over N29 billion Ground Rents owed it by property owners,” Sule said.

It would be recalled that the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Adesola Olusade recently inaugurated a debt recovery committee with the mandate to recover the outstanding debts owed to the FCT Administration with a particular interest in ground rents and other sundry fees in the Land Administration as well as other Land related departments.
The Coordinating Committee on the Recovery of Outstanding Ground Rent and Other Related Charges in the FCT, is headed by the FCT General Counsel/Secretary Legal Secretariat, Mohammed Babangida Umar.
The Committee earlier announced the engagement of five law firms, owned by Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), hired to prepare legal documents to commence legal action against the defaulting titleholders.
“The Committee wishes to inform the public that there will be no sacred cows as the law will surely take its course because the only language it will understand is for the debtors to clear their outstanding debt.”

The FCT Administration assured residents that it will not retreat in pursuing the legal option, because it needs funds to provide infrastructural development.

“All debtors are advised to clear their outstanding debts or face the full wrath of the law,” Sule warned. (VON)