Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) may have begun implementation of reforms in the land sector as the Administration has threatened to revoke any land title in the FCT over failure to pay the prescribed fees for the processing of the Certificates of Occupancy (Cs-of-O).
Towards this, the FCT Administration has given a four-month ultimatum to all land title holders with Rights of Occupancy (Rs-of-O), to either pay for the processing of their Cs-of-O or have such titles revoked in accordance with the extant laws governing land administration.
A statement released by the Director of Information and Communication, FCT, Muhammad Hazat Sule, on Wednesday, stated that the Administration expressed dismay over the non-payment of processing fees as well as other bills by respective allottees, who have been granted the Rights of Occupancy but failed to pay for the Cs-of-O thereby, hampering the government from carrying out its responsibilities of providing critical services, including infrastructure for the development of the FCT.
He quoted the Director of Land Administration Department, FCT, TPL Ekarikpong Ukpanah, as saying that the non-payment of the fees and other bills for Cs-of-O is a violation of the terms of grant and extant provision of the Land Use Act.
Ukpanah explained that the violation has continued to serve as a catalyst for unbridled land speculation in the FCT with its attendant negative impact on the infrastructural development of the Territory.
He notes that the Administration took the necessary steps to urgently stem the ugly trend by ensuring that henceforth only genuine land developers are allocated land in the FCT.
The statement revealed that the Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has since given approval to this effect and all land title holders that possess the Rights of Occupancy in the FCT should as a matter of urgency, pay the requisite processing fees for the Cs-of-O or have them revoked in accordance with the statutory provisions.
It also indicated that, henceforth, no Rights of Occupancy will be issued in the FCT until such allottees pay for the requisite fees, bills, and evidence of such payments confirmed by the Land Administration Department.
The statement further directed all organs of the FCT Administration to put in place necessary mechanism for the immediate implementation of the Ministerial directives.
Abuja Digest Newspaper can authoritatively report that the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, approved the reforms in the land administration sector in the FCT, in order to stem the activities of land speculators and also garner revenue for the implementation of critical infrastructural projects across the FCT, in line with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
● Report by Abuja Digest.
