The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority (FCTDA) for sealing off its national secretariat at Wadata Plaza in Abuja.
The PDP Acting Chairman, Umar Damagum, described the action as “irresponsible” and vowed to challenge it.
Briefing the press after a caucus meeting, Damagum said, “The action of the FCTA is irresponsible.”
He announced that the caucus meeting has been adjourned to 10 am on Tuesday. When asked if the PDP National Executive Council (NEC) will still hold, Damagum remained silent.
The FCTA sealed off Wadata Plaza over unpaid ground and tenancy rent.
According to Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the plaza owes N7,603,504.31 as 28 years’ ground rent.
Olayinka wrote on his Facebook page, “On Wadata Plaza being used as PDP National Secretariat, N7,603,504.31 is being owed as 28 years’ Ground Rent.”
The Wadata Plaza building was not the only structure sealed off by the FCT administration.
Others included complexes housing a commercial bank, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) at the Wuse Zone 5 in Abuja.
According to Lere, FIRS has not paid ground rent for 25 years.
The sealing off came a few months after the FCT administration lamented that more than N6 billion had been lost as revenue due to non-compliance by some property owners in the payment of their ground rents for over 10 years.
