FCTA Warns Abuja Property Owners on Ground Rents

FCTA Warns Abuja Property Owners on Ground Rents

The FCT Administration has called on all property owners in the Federal Capital Territory to pay all their outstanding ground rents and sundry bills before the end of February 2019.

The FCT Director of the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), Dr. Isa Ibrahim Jalo made this call in his office at the weekend.

Dr. Jalo reiterated that payment of ground rents is statutory for all land and property owners within the 8,000 square kilometers of the Federal Capital Territory and must be respected or enforced.

According to him, there are stipulated sanctions spelt out by the law for all defaulters of such payments including outright revocation of titles.

The Director warned that the law is blind and therefore not a respecter of anybody; stressing that all defaulters would face the full wrath of the law.

He said that the FCT Administration has indeed given one-month grace period, which is from now to the ending of February 2019 for all property owners in the Federal Capital Territory to pay all accrued ground rents and sundry bills including arrears to clear them forthwith.

His words: “There is no basis for Plot allottees, Property owners as well as beneficiaries of the Sale of Federal Government Houses in Abuja not to pay their bills because such payments are being used for infrastructural development and provision of services.”

The Director urged them to take advantage of this window provided by the Administration or face the consequences, as the government would not fold its arms watching helplessly.

Dr. Jalo emphasized that the settlement of these outstanding ground rents and sundry bills latest February 28, 2019 would save the affected persons the embarrassment that may come out of their inaction.

“Failure to clear these outstanding ground rents and sundry bills will attract necessary penalties for default, which may include the revocation of such titles as stipulated in the extant laws,” he further emphasized.

Sule Haruna
Information & Customer Service, AGIS