Property owners in Asokoro, Maitama, highest grand rent debtors – FCTA

By Stanley Onyekwere

Property owners in the highbrow areas of Asokoro, Industrial Area II and Maitama Districts of Abuja are the highest debtors owing 10.67, 9.43 and 9.29 percent out of the total sum of N29,506,643,943.98 owed the FCT Administration, reports revealed.

This revelation, was as the work of the Coordinating Committee on the Recovery of Outstanding Ground Rents owed the FCT Administration gathers momentum. 

It was gathered that the Committee is already fine-tuning legal documentations to take all property owners, who have failed to pay, despite repeated warnings to court for prosecution, revocation, or outright forfeiture.

A statement from Chairman, Media & Publicity Sub-Committee, Muhammad Hazat Sule, yesterday said the Committee in the process of doing its work has discovered that bulk of the debtors are titleholders in Asokoro, Industrial Area II and Maitama Districts, considered to be highbrow areas in the nation’s capital city, Abuja.

It disclosed that property owners in Asokoro District alone constitutes 10.67 percent of the Ground Rents defaulters, while the titleholders in Industrial Area II and Maitama Districts comprise 9.43 percent and 9.29 percent respectively.

It may 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 the FCT Administration with particular interest in ground rents and other sundry fees in the Land Administration Department as well as other stakeholder’s departments.

According to the statement:” Property owners in other Districts such as, Central Business Districts, Industrial Area I & Extension, as well as Wuse I & II are owing the Administration to the tune of 8.21 percent, 5.18 percent, 5.1 percent, and 4.81 percent respectively.

“Titleholders in Garki I & II, Katampe and Jabi Districts are in default of 3.4 percent, 3 percent, 2.21 percent, and 2.15 percent respectively.

Property owners in other districts like Kukwaba, Gwarinpa I, Gudu, Kado, Karmo, Katampe Extention, Utako, Mabushi, Durumi, Daki-Biyu, Guzape, Jahi, Dutse Wuye and Institutions & Research are owing various degrees of percentages”.

It adds: “Thus, the Committee is committed to carrying out its assignment as mandated by the FCT Administration whilst all titleholders must honour their obligation to clear the debts.

 “It is more honourable and responsible for property owners to rush to clear their outstanding debts because it is not going to be business as usual as the government needs these funds to fast-track the infrastructural development of the Federal Capital Territory.

“Meanwhile, the committee has since dissolved into sub committees of Publicity, Administration, Legal and Finance respectively for effective and diligent execution of its mandate”.