The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has announced that the FCTA administration will seal up properties in Abuja whose owners have yet to pay ground rent.
Wike said this during a media parley in Abuja on Monday, just as he expressed dismay that some property owners had refused to clear their debts despite the grace period given by President Bola Tinubu.
“Mr. President said two weeks, we are more than three months [since the grace period]. That is Nigeria for you.
“We have just finished a programme. I am going to seal up all those properties; I’m going to seal them up”, he said.
Wike stressed that the FCTA would seal up properties whose owners have not paid their ground rent, emphasising that the government would no longer allow property owners to deny it the taxes needed for development.
The FCTA had previously sealed the PDP headquarters, Wadata Plaza, in Abuja during the enforcement of the revocation of 4,794 properties for non-payment of ground rent.
Defaulters were granted a 14-day grace period to settle their ground rents, along with associated penalties, following President Tinubu’s intervention.
Wike expressed frustration that some property owners had refused to comply, despite the extension.
Wike also emphasised that the government would not listen to those who would accuse him of playing politics or discouraging investors when the FCTA seals the affected properties.
He further stressed that property owners must pay their taxes, saying, “You can’t deny us the taxes we use for development.”
The FCTA’s decision to seal properties of owners owing ground rent is a significant step towards enforcing tax compliance in Abuja.
